The Skies of Destiny
by Crimson-Moon-Beams
Summary: Mayu Yoshikuni's life was turned around when she fell through the Bone Eater's Well. Now as a wolf-demon Mayu fights demons in the Feudal Era. However, a new darkness is starting to fall over her new world. Can Mayu fight it? Or will she fall before it?
1. Author's NotesPrologue: Memory

**Author's Notes**

Alright everyone here it is my **"Inuyasha"** fanfiction! I'm so excited to finally have it up. Just before you start reading it you should please know that there are a few things that you, as the reader, need to know:

**1.** This story is set _after_ Kagome returns to the Feudal Era to be married to Inuyasha.  
**2.**Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Shippo will be seen a few times in this story but they are not considered main characters (I'm sorry about that but it's true).  
**3. **I am NOT spelling Koga's name "Kouga" like the original Japanese. I'm all for the Japanese spelings but personally I think that "Kouga" looks sort of weird so I am sticking with the American way and leaving out the "u". I'm sorry if some of you do not agree with this but it's my story so deal.  
**4.** Seen as this is based _after_ Naraku is defeated, the demons and other antagonists of the story are all original so if you wish to use them yourselves please tell me because they are coprighted. Also I'm sorry if you do not like the characters I come up with. Again, however, it is my story so you'll have to deal.  
**5. **This story was inspired by the show **"Inuyasha"** and the songs **"Amrita"** from the show **"The Tsubasa Chronicles"** and **"Honoo no Tibora"** from the show **"Gundam SEED Destiny"**. I do not own any of these. This is simply a fanfiction written by a fan for all the other fans out there!

Thank you all so much for reading and I hope that you enjoy the story!

Crimson-Moon-Beams  
a.k.a  
Nikoru-chan

--

**The Skies of Destiny**

**Prologue**

**Memory**

Blood, so much blood. I…I can smell it. The smell is…suffocating. It burns my nostrils and makes me dizzy. But whose blood is it? Is it my blood, or their blood? I can't tell. No, wait. I can't remember. I can't remember what happened. Was I attacked, or did I attack someone else? I can't remember! Wait, footsteps. I can hear footsteps. They're my footsteps. I know that they are. But where is it that I'm going? I'm going…up…I think. I can't tell. The smell of blood is clouding my eyesight. I can hardly see anything any more.

_Drip_.

What was that noise?

_Drip_.

There it is again. That sound, where is it coming from?

_Drip_!

My arm, it's coming from my arm. But how can that be? Unless, the blood! The blood is coming from me! But, there's so much of it. It's falling down my arm. Wait. My arm. I…I can't move it. But why? Why can't I move it? Wait, it hurts. Pain. That's what I feel. It's pain that is clouding my senses. Pain and the smell of blood. Was I in a battle? But I don't fight unless…unless…unless what? Why do I fight? Again a fact I can't remember. Damn this memory of mine. Why can't I remember anything? Wait. I see something. I see, a smiling face. A warm smile that touches the edges of my heart. A kind voice that offers advice and wisdom. And a joyous laugh that could make even the saddest of people smile again.

But wait. Pain. All those things bring pain but not to my body. My heart, why does it ache so? Why do these things cause me to feel anguish?

_Drip_.

That sound again. But it's so faint this time.

_Drip_. Still faint, but it's not blood.

_Drip_. No, not blood. Tears. Tears are falling down my face. But why am I crying? Is it because of my…wounds? Is that why I'm crying? No, wounds would never make me cry. At least, wounds of the body wouldn't. Wounds of the heart, however… My heart aches, so tears fall. But why does it hurt? Those images. Why do they cause me pain? I should feel…happy to see those images. Unless, something bad happened. An accursed memory that plagues my very soul. One that I will never forget until the day I die. But what was the memory? But wait, do I really want to know? No, I don't think I do. Something is telling me that this memory can, and potentially will, destroy me. I can't let that happen though. Not now at least.

There's…something, something that I need to do. But what was it? Maybe if I dig deeper. I can see…a man with a wicked grin on his face. I can also see, a monster? No, not a monster, a demon attacking a village. And, I can see myself. At least, my self reborn. I also see an army. Its archers, are they aiming for the beast? No, not that beast. That beast is not their target. It's me, I'm the one they are aiming for. I see myself…running. Running as fast as my legs can carry me. My arm…it's mangled. It is bleeding terribly. I see…more people. They're following me. I am the mouse, and they are the hungry cats. I can not out run them. I have no chance of living if I do. So I…fight? Yes, I fight for my own survival. But there are so many and I am only one. But, I win. Yes, I believe I do win. But, I'm hurt. My wounds run deep and the apothecary's poison spreads quickly.

I'm in a forest. At least, I was. That is where the battle took place. After I won I left there. But where am I now? My senses are still clouded. I can barely see. But I feel…rocks, and hard earth beneath my feet. A mountain perhaps? The path I follow grows steeper yet I still walk it. My breathing is shallow, I can not hold this pace much longer. I should stop, but I can't. What if I missed one or two? In this state I can not hope to defeat them. Though they are human and I am…not? No I _was_ human, but the days I spent enjoying life as I was are over. No, now I am something more. Something of greater value. I am a demon and though I am disregarded by humans I am strong and I can fight.

But not now. Now I must escape. Perhaps I can find shelter in the mountains. Yes mountains. Now they seem to hold the only comfort this cold world has to offer. I must find a cave or shelter of some creation. I need a…home? But I know no home. At least, not anymore. Did I have a home once before? I must have. A home where someone was always waiting for me to return. A home that welcomed me with open arms. A home that… No, I must not think about it. Again my heart aches at thoughts such as those. I must leave them in the back of my mind where they must remain. Unchecked and unwanted.

My legs, they grow tired. My body throbs and protests each step I take. I must go on. I must find somewhere I can call home again. I must find love once more, love of the heart. Do those things reside in the mountains? No, such things no longer exist. I have no home, and I feel no love. I feel…nothing. I am an empty shell from which no butterfly will emerge. I am empty, and shall remain so until my soul leaves this world.

My legs, they fail me. My body rejoices in the rest it is receiving. At the same time, however, it grieves at the misfortune I have brought it. I am mangled, and I am weak. I have no power left in me to move. No power left in me to grieve. I have fallen here, and here is where my resting place will be. I do not fear death, for death casts a long shadow that I can not escape. That fact will always remain true for all creatures that live on this earth. All creatures die. All creatures leave this world. And no one is exempt from that fact. Not even a demon such as myself. Demons may be immortal, but even they can not escape death if it calls for them, as it is calling me now.

My eyes grow weary. They close though I beg them to stay open. Death takes those that refuse to see it as it approaches. I do not refuse death, therefore, I wish to see it as it takes me. My eyes, however, will not heed my words. Not surprising, I suppose. My words fall on deaf ears. A mere whisper that wishes to be a shout but will not grow to such an extent. There is no power left in me. Death will soon deal the final blow, and as I lay on this mountain, I do welcome it with open arms.

What's this? Though my body has grown powerless my ears still seem to fight on. I hear…voices? Yes they are voices. Someone, no not jut one, many approach me. Their voices seem friendly, but are their hearts the same? I attempt to force my body to listen to me once more but in the time I have laid here my body has grown deaf and will listen no longer.

"Whoa, what's that?" It is a male's voice. It seems kind but also slightly clumsy and foolish.

"Dunno, should we check it out?" Another male's voice. This one is also kind, but is stronger than the voice before. This voice, however, is still just as foolish. I suppose the other male must have agreed for the footsteps become louder with each passing moment. Finally they stop and I know they are standing over me now.

"It's…a woman." The first voice concluded.

"And not just any woman, this girl is a wolf-demon." The second voice agreed. Oh yes, that's right. I'm a wolf-demon. If only I could speak I could thank these kind men for replacing a piece of lost memory. If only my body was still with me, I could smile to show my appreciation. No, wait, I do not smile. But why don't I? Something, in my past. It stopped me, from smiling. No, no more memories. My heart can't seem to take it. Its usual lively pace is but a slow meandering now. Yes, my heart can not take much more. I must also remember that I am an empty shell, and shells do not smile.

"What the hell are you two idiots doing?" A third voice? This one is angry and mean. However, this male also has a strong air of confidence about him. He believes in himself and has a leader's quality in him that the other two do not show.

"We found her like this. She's badly wounded." The first voice again. He sounded…worried. Hmm, worry. I have not seen or shown this emotion to anyone in a long time. To think someone would show it to me now of all times.

"Well is she dead?" The third voice demanded. I felt someone roll me over. If only my body were still with me I could cringe away, but now I can not, for my body has abandoned me.

"No, she's still breathing, but it's really shallow. I don't think she'll make it unless we get her some help." The first voice replied.

"Forget it. There's no point in bringing her with us if she's just going to die on the way there." The third voice said. If I could glare and curse I would. But I can not. My body is too tired.

"But I really think she has a chance to make it. Can't we just bring her with us?" The first voice asked again.

"Yeah, the den isn't that much further up the mountain anyway." The second voice agreed. Thank you, kind men, for your words.

"No this is just another waste of our time! You too can't just keep saving every creature that you come across now let's go!" The third voice commanded. Curse you, whoever it is that you are.

"But she's a wolf-demon we can't just leave her here!" The first voice argued.

"A…wolf-demon?" The third voice asked shocked. I suppose he hadn't seen me yet, whoever it is that he was.

"Yeah we should at least try to help her." The second voice continued. If there was ever a time I wanted to sigh it would be now. No, I need to convince them that I can make it. I am stronger than this! I have to make it or else my task shall never be complete! Please body I beg you, give me the power of speech! Though it will use the last of my strength I need this now!

"P…please…I…I won't…die. Just…take…me…home…" Take me home? What did I mean by that? I had no home, and these men wouldn't even know where to find my home anyway. But that was the last of my strength and if that did not convince them, then I would be left here to die.

"She…she spoke." The second voice said shock filling the air around him and the other male.

"You hear that! She spoke! If we can just get her up to the den we can save her!" The first voice said happily.

"Koga come on, you heard it too! We can still help her." The second voice said. There was a long pause. Was this "Koga" voice one or voice three? Either way I knew I would find out soon enough.

"Tch, fine then! Have it your way but Ginta, Hakkaku you have to carry home the rest of our supplies _including_ what you already have." So, the third voice was Koga. He was the one who wanted to leave me here, but I suppose the fact that I'm wolf-demon changed his mind. Why, however, I can not tell. I heard voice one and voice two, Ginta and Hakkaku as I just learned, groan. They did not, however, complain. Suddenly I felt two strong arms go under my back and legs and lift me from the ground. I slowly looked up but all I could see was a blurred figure.

"K…Koga?" I asked.

"Oh, so you're not out for the count yet?" Koga asked. His voice, however, was soft this time. There was no hate in it, only a slight air of compassion.

"N…no. Not…yet." I replied. Trying to speak was becoming harder than before.

"Can you tell me your name?" Koga asked his voice still soft.

"M…Mayu." I replied my voice growing weaker. Mayu…was that my name? I was sure it was when I said it. Now, however, I wasn't so sure. Another name tried to replace Mayu, but it was so faint I could neither see nor hear it. Mayu, it seemed right so I chose to stay with it.

"Mayu." Koga whispered my name and stopped after he said it. It seemed as if he was taking in the simple knowledge of my name. As if he was observing the name, trying to get a greater meaning out of it. What he would gain from knowing my name I did not know. After a long pause he spoke again.

"Mayu, can you tell me what happened to you?" I thought about this. I was in a battle, and I was wounded. That was all I could truly remember. However, I could already feel it. My eyes began to fall, my voice was hoarse and would crack if I said too much. My body was beginning to give in and I knew that I couldn't say much more. I took a deep breath before answering. I slowly shook my head and the darkness overcame me as I spoke.

"I…don't…remember…"


	2. Chapter 1: Sustained & Killed by Memory

^_^Hey everyone this is Crimson-Moon-Beams (a.k.a. Nikoru-chan). So this is chapter one of **"The Skies of Destiny"** and before you read it I just have a quick few words to say. First of all, the next few chapters are mostly going to be flashbacks because I need to catch everyone up on family, and past, and stuff like that. The only other thing I need to say is, I added translation notes at the end of the chapter just incase there are Japanese sayings/words you may or may not know. If you know them feel free to ignore it, but if not then the definitions and meanings are all down there. If any discrepancies are found please let me know. I'm obsessed with this story being perfect so feel free to tell me and give me constructive criticism. And that's all I wanted to tell everyone so please enjoy!^_^

~Crimson-Moon-Beams (a.k.a. Nikoru-chan)

**________________________________________________**

**Chapter One**

**The Memories That Sustained Me**

**Are the Memories That Killed Me**

When I was younger I used to always ask my mother, what her most prized possession was. When I asked she looked down at me with the sweetest of smiles.

"You and your sister of course." She said while brushing her nose against mine. I giggled and looked back up at her.

"I already know that I meant _other_ than me and Alessandra." My mother smiled at me and thought it over for a moment. She pulled me up closer to her and smiled.

"My memories." She answered looking dreamily into space. I looked at her slightly confused. I was too young to understand that some things other than material possessions could be considered important.

"Your memories?" I asked.

"Yes my memories." She replied.

"Mother I don't understand. Why your memories?" I wondered. My mother smiled down at me. She sat me more comfortably on her lap and held me close.

"Well, my memories are the most important to me because the most important of memories last forever. I remember when your sister was born, and when you were born, your first birthdays, and your first days of school. All those things are kept safely locked away right up here." She said pointing to the top of her head.

"So, when I'm older, I'll have lots of memories to keep too?" I asked spinning her wedding ring around her finger.

"Of course you will. You'll remember the fun times, the sad times, the times you want to happen over and over, and the times you'd rather forget but can't. They're all special in their own ways and they teach us new things as we grow. That's why memories should always be the most important possessions you ever own." She smiled and kissed my forehead. I giggled and kissed her cheek never wanting to leave that one prefect moment.

Memories can be harsh, and memories can be cold, but memories are the most important things that you should ever hold.

The person who told me this loves me,

and those memories **sustained** me.

________________________________________________________________________

"Whoa, look at that tower! It's amazing!" I said as I rounded the corner. Just above me sat a tower that very much resembled the Eiffel Tower. It spread out near the bottom and balanced itself on four legs before coming together into a straight point. The bottom itself was red but then moved into white, then red, then white again all the way up to the very top. It was one of the best sights I had seen since coming to Japan.

"That's the Tokyo Tower." My father explained. My dad was a tall man with kind, jade green eyes and auburn hair that was slicked back with a few strands falling over his forehead. His smile widened under his thick moustache. He was wearing beige pants, brown shoes, and a dark blue t-shirt. Basically, he was your average, everyday Englishman.

My mother walked up beside him. She was at least a foot and a half shorter than my father but mainly due to her Japanese heritage. Her black hair shone in the summer sun and her dark brown eyes smiled at me. Her hair hung loosely passed her shoulders and her bangs flowed across her forehead. My father put his arm around her. I smiled brightly at them both. Two people from completely different worlds met one day and immediately fell in love.

My father was a business man who had always cared for his work over his social and personal life. He was handsome but never cared to give anyone who was interested in him the time of day. It wasn't that he was cold, it was just that he was too busy to be bothered. It wasn't until one day while he was working that his boss had asked him if he was interested in going on a business trip to Japan.

"Japan?" My father had asked. He had never been to Japan before. Let alone anywhere outside of the United Kingdom. The thought of going to an entirely different continent where they didn't even speak the same language seemed strange to him, almost exciting. He hurriedly agreed to go and even signed himself up for some Japanese lessons so he would at least have an idea of how to make small conversation, and order food.

After three weeks of classes my father had already learned a fair bit of Japanese, though writing it was still difficult. He boarded the plane ready for the twelve hour trip from London to Tokyo. He spent most of the trip sleeping or practicing more of his Japanese. Finally the plane landed in Tokyo at eleven o' clock the next morning. My father got off the plane ready for anything that might face him. What he wasn't ready for, however, was the gratuitous amount of people! He pushed his way through the crowds hanging on to his briefcase for dear life.

Finally after making it through the crowds of family members and friends welcoming their children, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and friends he caught sight of a driver holding up a sign with his name on it.

"Ah, yes, my name is Colin Walker." He said gasping for breath.

"_Ohayou Walker-san_."

"Oh, uh, yes _Ohayougozaimasu._" The driver smiled at my father and led him towards a car that was waiting for him. My father got in and his journey through Japan started.

He was to stay in Japan for two weeks attending conferences and catching some sights where he could. It had already been the first week and my father hadn't bothered with sight seeing and managed to only attend conferences and then head straight back to his hotel. This easy schedule he had set up for himself, however, was about to come to a halt.

After the next conference my father decided it would have been a good idea to stretch his legs a little. Being stuck inside a conference room for a few hours without being able to leave could really put a strain on your legs. He left the building he had been in and slowly started walking around. He wouldn't go far, maybe a block or two, then he would turn right around and head back up to his awaiting car and head back to the hotel for the night.

After walking for about fifteen minutes my father decided he would turn around and head straight back to the car. He turned just as a young boy ran into him.

"_G-gomenesai_." The young boy said and quickly ran off. My father stared after him and felt that his pocket seemed to become lighter. He checked to find that his wallet had been stolen. He glared at the boy and quickly followed him. The boy continued to run yelling incomprehensible words in Japanese at my father. The boy suddenly took a sharp turn and my father followed. He stopped dead in his tracks as he found the boy being held up by a beautiful Japanese woman. She was yelling at him in Japanese and my father could only guess that she was scolding him.

She grabbed the wallet from the boy's hand and passed it to my father.

"_Gomenesai_." She said while bowing.

"_A-Arigatou gosaimasu_." He replied. The woman laughed.

"You are not Japanese." She said with an accented English.

"Uh, no. You speak English?" He asked.

"Yes, very little." She explained. My father nodded. There was a long silence. The boy suddenly appeared and pulled on the woman's apron.

"_Onee-chan onakagasuita_…" He whined. The woman pushed him back and told him in Japanese to wait for her at home and that she would be there in a moment. He sulked but did as she said. She turned back to my father and smiled.

"My _otouto-san_." She explained shaking her head. My father laughed.

"He is…_kawaii_." The woman laughed again.

"Your Japanese is good. Your accent is…shaky." She said and smiled.

"Uh, my I ask, your name?" My father asked blushing slightly.

"My name is Michiyo Yoshikuni." My mother replied happily.

"I'm Colin Walker." My father said smiling.

`"Well it is nice to meet you, _Walker-san_." My father blushed and smiled back, and a beautiful relationship was formed.

Later on my dad and mom kept in touch through letters and e-mail and whenever my dad could get a chance he would go to visit her. Until one day my dad finally asked my mom to marry him and she agreed. They had the wedding in Japan and since my mom was going back with my father to England they decided to keep to her Japanese roots as much as possible so my dad took my mom's last name instead of the other way around. Then my mom and dad had my sister, then they had me, and we remained a happy family over all these years.

I often looked back on the story of my parents' first meeting. It always made me laugh and wonder if my first meeting with the person I would spend the rest of my life with would be similar. I put my hands on my face and smiled dreamily at the very thought. He would see me and I would see him and it would be love at first sight and he would hold me and tell me how much he loved me and… Oh I got goose bumps just thinking about it.

"Mayu, stop daydreaming or we'll leave you here." My sister said. I looked forward to see that my mother, father, and older sister were already way ahead of me. I quickly ran forward and smiled.

"Sorry, I got distracted." I replied.

"We can tell." My sister said shaking her head. My sister was beautiful. One of the most beautiful girls I had ever met in my life. She took after my mother in the sense that they had the same eyes and hair. My sister always pulled her hair back into a ponytail and her dark brown eyes were always watching and worrying about me. Though my sister took after my mother they're personalities were totally different. My mother was sweet, shy, and very caring. My sister was proud, out-going, and constantly worrying about me. I sighed just thinking about how different they were, yet they looked so much alike. My sister may have taken after my mom, but I was the one who looked like my father.

I was tall, two inches taller than my sister, at 5'6". I had long auburn hair that fell to my hips and jade green eyes just like my father. My bangs fell across my forehead and I had a smile that could lighten any mood. Compared to my mother and sister's darker skin tone I was very fair. I didn't mind though, I liked the way I looked.

"Now, now Alessandra don't be mean to your sister. It's been awhile since we've been back to Japan." My father told her. Alessandra shook her head and walked forward. My father did have a point though. The last time we had been in Japan was five years ago. I was only twelve then and never really got a chance to look around because we were busy with family. This time we had come just for the four of us so I wanted to see as much as I could before we left.

I walked forward and stared up at the bright sun. It was the middle of August and the hot summer sun was shining down on us. There was a slight chill in the air though, hinting that the cold blanket of winter was soon going to cover the world in a white sheet of snow. Not before the beautiful leaves of fall filled the trees and streets soon.

I loved autumn. It was my second favourite season after summer. The colours in the leaves were so beautiful and I just loved the feel you got from autumn. I sighed though, as I realized this also meant school would be starting again in September. It seemed as if the summer had gone way too fast.

I looked over, brought out of my daydreaming, as I heard some snickering and whispers. Some teenage boys around my age were looking over at me and whispering to themselves. I looked at them confused. I could hear what they were saying, but being able to understand it was a whole other story. My father suddenly came over.

"Come on honey, we need to get going before the day's over." He said.

"Oh, ok daddy." I said and ran forward but not before seeing my dad throw the boys an evil glare. They slowly slunk off and I smiled. My dad had always been overprotective of me. I was daddy's little girl after all.

"Oh, Mayu dear, watch your _omajinai_ or you're going to lose it." My mother warned.

"My what?" I asked.

"Your good luck charm. Honestly don't you know any Japanese?" My sister asked shaking her head. I ignored her and looked at my light sweater pocket to see the charm I had bought at the shrine we had just visited was slowly falling out. I quickly grabbed it and stuffed it back into the pocket. The last thing I wanted to do was lose that charm. It was a charm for good luck in love according to the shrine lady who sold it to me and it was one thing I needed.

It wasn't that I was ugly, in fact a lot of people said I was pretty, it was just that I was so ridiculously oblivious that I could never tell whether a guy liked me or not. I sighed and stuffed my hands into my denim shorts.

"What's wrong with you?" Alessandra asked.

"Oh nothing, it's just I'm going to miss this place. I love Japan, it's so pretty and full of life." I explained.

"Oh and our little home in the suburbs isn't good enough for you?" She asked teasingly. I blushed and waved my hands in defense.

"No, no it's not that it's just I guess my heart has always belonged to Japan. I don't know why, it just does." I said and smiled. My sister smiled at me and rubbed my head with her hand.

"You're definitely the weirdest little sister I've ever seen." She said and smiled.

"Hey!" I said pulling my hands up to my head. My sister winked at me and ran forward. I grunted and tried to brush my hair back down on my head.

We walked around visiting the many shops lining the streets. Of course the usual Tokyo crowds were around. Thank goodness for my height compared to everyone else or I would have definitely been lost in this frenzied atmosphere. Suddenly a woman carrying a basket of fruit stumbled in front of me. She fell to the ground and dropped all her belongings. People stopped not to help her, but to casually walk around like this was nothing new.

"Humph, people these days." I whispered under my breath. I bent down and started helping the lady.

"_Ah, gomen, gomen, gomen_." She kept whispering under her breath. _Gomen_? I thought to myself. I knew that word. My mom had said it before. But what did it mean?

"_Gomen, gomen, gomen_." She kept repeating. Then it hit me. Sorry! That's what it meant. But what was she apologizing for? It wasn't her fault. Things were so different here. Everyone was so polite and kind to each other but there was also a sense of propriety and respect. Also it seemed as if everyone had a place and position in society and to aid someone of a lower rank than you was forbidden. If this had happened back in England sure some people would walk around but more people would be willing to help.

After I finished helping her with her fruits we stood back up. I smiled at her. She smiled back and bowed.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_." She said. I smiled awkwardly. I had absolutely no idea what she just said. Not wanting to be rude I bowed back and smiled. She smiled one last time and then hurriedly continued to finish her shopping. I smiled. It always felt good helping other people. At least to me it did. I sighed a happy sigh and then turned to leave.

I stopped in my tracks.

Where was I? Well I knew I was in the middle of the market place, but where was my family? I looked around but couldn't see them anywhere. My heart started to beat faster and faster. I was in a whole different country, on a whole different continent, with absolutely no idea where I was or how to even read or ask for directions. I felt myself begin to panic. Small drops of cold sweat formed on my forehead and my heart began to race. I turned around over and over trying to find someone, anyone who could help me.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. The first thing that popped into my mind was a "host", those Japanese men who picked up young girls and used them for money and sex. My mom warned me over and over to always watch out for them and to always stay with someone so we could avoid them at all costs. My heart stopped and my stomach dropped. _Ok_, I thought to myself, _remember what you learned in self-defense. Even though that was ten years ago, try to think back_. Damn, nothing was coming to mind. There was no avoiding it, I had to turn and face whoever this was. My heart beat increased as I turned around. Small tears formed at the corners of my eyes. Good-bye money, good-bye future, and good-bye virginity.

I gasped as I came face to face with my father.

"Dad?" I asked.

"Mayu, Mayu thank goodness. We told you not to wonder off." He looked completely mortified.

"Daddy, it was this woman, sh-she dropped her groceries, a-and I-I bent over to help an-and…" I stopped and grabbed my dad in a hug.

"Daddy I was so scared!" I yelled. He patted my head and smiled.

"Shh, it's ok sweetie, it's ok. We found you, shh, it's ok." He comforted me. A few stray tears fell down my face.

"Oh, _yare_! You found her!" I turned to see my mom and sister coming through the crowd. They had looks of worry and horror on their faces. My eyes filled with new tears and I ran over to my mom and hugged her too. My mom sighed and hugged me back. I was five inches taller than her but it didn't change the fact that I was scared and needed comfort.

"God Mayu you had us all scared to death. What the hell is wrong with you?" Alessandra demanded. I stepped away from my mom and glared at her with a few tears in my eyes.

"It's not my fault! I was helping someone!" I defended.

"Haven't you noticed that _no_ one here is helping anyone else? It's up to the people to take care of themselves." She scolded.

"I don't care what they do here! I'm not from here so I'm going to be polite to people the way I was raised to be." I said putting my hand on my chest.

"Ugh you're absolutely ridiculous do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?! Getting lost is the one thing you should **not** do. Do you know what could have happened to you? You could have been picked up by a host or worse. These aren't the streets of England you know Mayu. There are some places you don't want to get lost and downtown Tokyo is one of them." Alessandra explained glaring at me. I glared back at her. I knew she was right and that there was nothing I could say that would defend me anymore. I crossed my hands in a huff and blew my bangs off my forehead. They fell back down in the same place but I didn't care.

"Now, now girls that's enough. We found Mayu so let's continue looking around all right?" My father asked putting on his sweet smile. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I guess so." I said not looking at Alessandra.

"As long as she actually stays with us this time." Alessandra said. I glared at her but followed as my mother, father, and sister walked forward. We passed a few more shops and as we walked I began to forget how angry I was and started to enjoy myself again. I ran up to one store and looked in the windows.

"Wow, look at those _kimonos_." I said my eyes wide.

"_Yukata_." My mother said.

"What?" I asked confused.

"It's not a _kimono_, it's a _yukata_." My mother explained.

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"A _yukata_ is worn mostly during summer months. It's made of a lighter cloth so that you don't overheat under the fabric like you would if you were to wear a normal _kimono_." My sister explained coming up beside me.

"Oh." I replied. I continued to stare at the _yukata_. They were very pretty but I wanted a _kimono_ so badly. Unfortunately, my mom and dad had already told me many times before that they would buy me one on my eighteenth birthday and no earlier. _Kimonos_ were very expensive depending on the brand you wanted and seen as I was taller than the average Japanese woman my _kimono_ was going to need more cloth which would be even more expensive.

I sighed. I suppose getting a _kimono _or even a _yukata_ was something I was going to have to wait for. It wasn't much longer until my eighteenth birthday anyway. April 14th was about eight months away. I sighed realizing that it was going to take a lot of patience to get through those eight months, but at least I had something important to look forward to.

"Mayu come on we don't want to lose you again!" I heard Alessandra calling.

I sighed. "I'm coming!" I yelled back angrily and followed behind my parents and sister. I took one last look at the _yukata_ in the window and smiled. One day, one of those would be mine and I could hardly wait. Little did I know that a shadow was lurking behind me, watching me. Taking in my surroundings and understanding what it was I loved most. I didn't realize it at the time, but soon I would learn, that that day when I would wear my own _kimono _on my eighteenth birthday while thanking my parents over and over again, was never going to come.

*****

I woke up slowly. It took a few blinks before my eyes adjusted to my unusually dark surroundings. Where was I? And what had happened to me? I tried to move my body and immediately stopped. My entire body cringed and throbbed in agony at the sudden movements. My heart beat raced. What had happened? Why couldn't I move? And why did my body hurt so much?

I cringed as my head started to hurt and all the memories of before flooded back to me. That's right, I was in that stupid battle and was brought here, wherever that was, by that Koga person. I looked around, at least my head still moved, and tried to figure out where I was. I sighed angrily. My eyesight was still too blurry to make anything out and it was so dark. I decided seen as my eyes wouldn't aide me that I would try relying on my other senses. I started with my ears. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I listened intently to my surroundings trying to get a better understanding for them.

There was a dripping noise on rock somewhere close. And there was also the roar of a waterfall somewhere else close by. The wind made a whistling sound as it blew past, as if it was going in and out of something round very quickly. Right away I knew exactly where I was. I was in a cave, somewhere on the mountain I had attempted to climb the day, or days, before. I heard the slight howl of a wolf and the chirping of the crickets. Obviously it was night, and by the howl of the wolf it was most likely a full moon.

How long had I been here? How long was I going to end up staying here? I wasn't sure. I tensed as I heard another sound. Very faint, but so close I was surprised I had missed it before. There was a person, no wait…there were _people_ inside the cave with me. Every one of them was asleep and I could hear their faint breathing and slight snores against the howl of the wind. How many of them were there? I couldn't hear well enough to count the breathing or hear the patterns but there had to be at least ten or more. Were they all men, or were there some women in the group? I couldn't tell. I suddenly tensed again as I the sound of breathing came close to my ear. I shivered as the warm breath caressed my skin. I turned my head to the side as far as my neck would allow. My eyes widened. There, lying next to me, was Koga. I could barely make out the shape of his face and hands but it was undoubtedly him.

I stared at his face shocked. Why was he lying next to me? And if he was lying next to me, then that must have meant…I was in his bed! If I could move I would have punched him and left that cave without a second thought, but my current disability gave me time to think. Maybe he had put me in his bed not to have his way with me, maybe he had done it for protection. Maybe he was keeping me protected from the other people in the cave. Or maybe I was wrong and he really only wanted me for my body. I shook that thought quickly from my head.

I listened as he breathed evenly in and out, lost in a deep sleep. From what I could manage to make out he seemed almost at peace, as if every problem he had ever faced in the world was gone. I stared at him. I wondered if I looked that peaceful when I slept. Most likely not considering the foreboding dreams I had been having. I stared at the roof of the cave and I cursed my memories for plaguing me with their horrid images.

I tensed again as a heard a sound, a slight cough that came from right beside me. I turned my head again and my eyes widened once again. It was hard to make out, but thanks to the slight light coming into the cave from the moon I could see a single shining tear on Koga's face. He was crying. A wave of sympathy filled my body, an emotion I hadn't felt in a long time.

I thought back to when Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku had first found me. Koga was so harsh and commanding and he was even considering just leaving me there. He was a leader, strong, powerful, respected and feared. No one would question his motives unless they were willing to risk their lives. All this I had discovered just by hearing him speak. But now, I looked at him as the tears slowly rolled down his turned cheek onto the soft fur we lied in and I realized that even the strongest of men could be brought to tears if you knew how to trigger them.

I then started wondering. What would make a strong leader like Koga cry? Crying showed that you could feel sadness or compassion, two emotions you could not afford to have in the cruel, unending world we lived in, yet here Koga was, lying silently next to me while the tears continued to fall. What destructive force would cause Koga to start to cry, even if just in dreams? Had he been hurt? Had he lost a loved one to another? Had his loved one not truly loved him back? Had his loved one passed on from th…?

I stopped myself. My heart began to ache and I cursed my dreams once again. I felt a wave of sleep cover my body. I was so hurt and exhausted. Just moving my head around and thinking to myself had tired me out. I didn't want to go back to sleep. I didn't want to see anymore memories. I was already so hurt and tired that seeing them again could easily kill me. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they would not heed my cries. Slowly and painfully I fell back into a deep sleep, while a single tear rolled down my cheek and onto the fur beneath me.

*****

I yawned putting my hand in front of my mouth while forced tears filled the corner of my eyes. I wiped them away and stretched.

"Tired?" My mother asked me. I smiled and laughed.

"Yeah it's been a long day." I replied.

"Are you still hanging onto that silly charm of yours?" Alessandra suddenly asked.

"First of all it's not 'silly' and second of all yes I am." I replied and pulled the charm out of my pocket. The small tassel swung while I walked. I stared down at the Japanese characters. _Kanji_ I think was what my mom called them.

"Hey mom, what does this say?" I asked putting the charm near her so she could see it.

"Hang on let me get my glasses out." She replied. She fished through her purse and pulled out a small pair of reading glasses. I don't know why she needed them. She could see fine then our optometrist said she needed reading glasses, and her ability to see had only seemed to suffer from it. She put them on and stared at the characters.

"Well this character is '_kouun_' and it means good luck while this character is '_ai_' which means love. So basically this charm is hopefully going to grant you good luck in love. Is there a certain somebody you're thinking of?" My mom asked nudging my arm.

"No there isn't, but I'm hoping to change that with this charm." I replied.

"Are you honestly that desperate for a boyfriend?" Alessandra asked.

"Well it's not fair. You're beautiful and can get any boy you want. I'm, me, and sometimes girls like me need a little help." I replied sticking my tongue at her.

"Oh please Mayu, let's face it, you're not bad-looking either and if you want a boyfriend that badly all you really need to do is put those boobs of yours close to some guy and he'll be crawling all over you in no time." Alessandra replied shrugging her shoulders. I put my hands across my chest protectively.

"Alessandra!" I yelled appalled.

"Alessandra would you please keep comments like that to yourself." My mother scolded.

"Well it's true. What size are you anyway Mayu, D? DD perhaps? I'm afraid my poor little B-cups just can't compare. It seems the younger members of this family are the ones who are best endowed. Pity I was born first." Alessandra said acting depressed. She threw me an evil smile and crossed her arms triumphantly as my face became completely red.

"Alessandra I think that's enough." My mother said though I knew she found this entire thing completely hilarious. I could already see her trying to hide a smile. I looked to my dad for support. He had been silent the entire time. I was about to whine for help when I saw that his mouth was twitching. Obviously he was trying to hide a smile and a laugh as well. I glared at him and crossed my arms angrily.

"I hate all of you." I said under my breath. And then my family lost it. At the exact same time they all burst into laughter. I tried to stay angry but couldn't help myself. Soon I was laughing along with them.

"Well, now that that's over with, what should we do before we head back to the hotel?" My dad asked wiping the stray tears from his eyes.

"Maybe we should go look at another shrine?" Alessandra suggested. We all groaned in disagreement.

"What? It was just a suggestion." She said pouting.

"But I'm tired of all this walking. I want to do something easy, something that will most likely include a lot of sitting." I said sighing completely worn out. I looked up as something suddenly caught my attention. My eyes lit up as I recognized the shape.

"Ice-cream." I said.

"What?" My family asked at the same time.

"We should get ice-cream!" I said happily. I could already feel the creamy texture and taste the sweet vanilla bean flavoured treat in my mouth.

"Ice-cream? Honestly how old are you, five? And besides we're in _Tokyo_. Shouldn't we do something we can't do back home?" Alessandra asked.

"You're never too old for ice-cream and this is _Tokyo_ ice-cream not ice-cream from back home." I told her, "mom dad can we please, please, _please_ get ice-cream?" I asked giving them my famous puppy dog eyes.

"Well are you sure you don't want to go to Tokyo Tower or something else?" My father asked.

"We still have days left to do that and other stuff but can we please get ice-cream I have a _huge_ craving for it." I said trying to persuade them.

"Well, alright why not? Some ice-cream sounds nice." My dad said. He and my mother smiled.

"Well I suppose since we're here we might as well." Alessandra sighed.

"Yay! Ice-cream, ice-cream, ice-cream!" I chanted while heading to the ice-cream stand. I stopped in front of it and waited for everyone else to come over. I turned to stare at Tokyo Tower. It was a beautiful building and would be even more amazing once the sun went down and they lit the lights around it. I smiled. We were going to be in Tokyo for another few days so we had lots of time to visit more shrines and Tokyo Tower, so there really was nothing to worry about.

However, that shadow that had been following me was still close behind. Watching, waiting, all it needed was the perfect chance to send my life into a spiraling swirl of panic, chaos, sadness, and anger. Soon I would be thrust into the pits of hell and never would I be able to look upon the majesty of Tokyo Tower, or the rest of the world I knew, again.

*****

"Please, get away." I whispered as I woke again but this time kept my eyes closed. A bright light was shining inside the cave. I knew right away it was the sun, after all, what else could it possibly be? I attempted to move my body once again. Still no good. The feeling had indeed returned to my upper body, but I couldn't fully move my legs. I sighed and realized if it was morning then someone may hear me. If I was lucky they would help me up and save me from anymore memories. The final chapter of my life as I once knew it was about to end, but that chapter was in a book I preferred to leave lying, forgotten, in the back of my mind.

I tensed as I heard footsteps approach but relaxed as I realized that if they had wanted to kill or harm, or use my body for their own personal enjoyment (a thought I shivered at), they would have done it long ago.

"Is she awake?" I heard a gruff voice asked. It wasn't familiar then again I had only heard three voices before so that was understandable.

"Doesn't look like it. Man this chick can sleep." Another voice said. I furrowed my brow but none of them seemed to notice. I was not a "chick" I was a strong and independent wolf-demon and would prefer to be referred to as such. Or if not that they could at least use my name. If Koga had even thought to mention my name to, assuming they were, his men.

"How long has it been since Koga brought her here anyway?" Another voice asked.

"I don't know. I think about three days now." One voice replied. Three days?! I had been asleep for _three days_?! I must have been injured worse than I first expected.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Finally a voice I recognized. Please Ginta, save me from these, these, _dogs_. I felt nauseous just having them stare at me.

"Oh hey Ginta, Hakkaku. We just came to check on Koga's princess over here." The gruff voice from before replied. Since when was I "Koga's princess"? I wasn't anybody's princess. I belonged to no one and I never would. Also, how dare they call me a princess?! I never asked to be treated like this. Personally I would rather be out in the forest than on this bed. Princess, ha! What a ridiculous idea.

"You know you should probably step back a bit. If Koga finds you all over here he'll definitely beat the crap outta all of you." Hakkaku's familiar voice warned. Was Koga really that protective of me? What a waste of time. It was only a matter of time before I left this place to continue my existence as an empty shell. Koga could try to protect me all he wanted, but he was getting nothing from me in return.

"Why is Koga so protective of this girl anyway? I mean yeah she's a wolf-demon, but she's not even one of our tribe. He treats her like a little sister or something. I know that we wolf-demons are brothers and sisters, but this girl, she's really suspicious." The voice that had called me a chick said. If I could glare I would. I was someone's little sister before, but not anymore, and I was not going to be considered anyone else's. And I was not suspicious at all. Personally I thought it was more suspicious for a group of guys to sit there and stare at a woman, unconscious, on a bed of fur.

"Well it's because this is like the incident before when Ka-" Ginta started but immediately stopped. Why had he stopped talking? What was it about me that caused Koga to treat me so well? What incident was he talking about?! I needed to know and did not have the patience to wait to be told. Who knew how much longer I would be asleep for. But why, Ginta, did you stop talking?!

"What are you idiots doing over here?" Oh, so that was why he stopped. Koga had apparently walked over without the others realizing it.

"Oh, uh, Koga, we were uh, just checking up on the girl." The gruff voice replied. I could hear the fear in his voice. Was Koga really such a frightening individual?

"So how is she then?" Koga asked unimpressed.

"Uh, still sleeping." Ginta replied.

"Oh, well if she's still sleeping, then why are you all still over here?!" Koga yelled with such intensity that I could feel the cave slightly shake and even I flinched at the harshness of his voice. I heard a slight and somewhat silent yelp escape from each of their mouths. There was then a quick shuffling of footsteps and then silence. I could hear some of the other men outside yelling orders to each other and some wolves barking. The cave, however, was silent. Suddenly I heard a sigh escape from Koga's lips. I heard more footsteps drawing closer to me. I heard the soft ruffling of the fur as Koga, I believe, bent down on it. I felt my heart quicken. Where was Koga and what was he doing? I suddenly got a chill. Like when it feels as if someone is watching you. I tensed as Koga's scent filled my nostrils. It was the smell of wet stone and the musty odour of sweat. But there was also a sweet smell, like a field of summer flowers, but it was dulled by something else, something I couldn't make out. Such an interesting smell.

"Mayu huh?" He said. I tensed. Could he tell I was actually awake? What would I do if he did know?

"Still pretty beat up. What the hell happened to you?" He asked. My mind swam. Do I reply? Ignore him and hope he goes away? What do I do?!

"Well, you're still asleep so I guess I won't know till you wake up huh?" I relaxed almost immediately. He thought I was still asleep! He was just talking to, technically, himself. There was more ruffling of fur as Koga leaned back. The weight of the fur suddenly shifted to the left and I could tell he had lied down.

"Tch, those stupid idiots, should really learn to keep their mouths shut." I almost turned to stare at Koga. He sounded so hurt and sad. What in the world had happened to him? Just as I was about to find a way to ask I recognized the pattern of the slow, casual breathing and knew he was asleep. I sighed knowing no one would hear me anyway. I attempted to open my eyes but the light from the sun, even in that darkened cave, was too bright for my eyes. Sleeping in a cave for three days apparently affected my eyesight worse than I expected.

I tensed as another wave of sleep tried to take me over. No, I didn't want to sleep. I couldn't sleep, not when I knew exactly what was going to happen as soon as the world turned completely black. Damn it, it was because Koga fell asleep beside me. It reminded me that I was still tired. Three days of sleep and my body still craved more. I felt my body slowly relax and knew I couldn't fight it anymore. I was going to sleep again and my world was going to shatter into a million pieces once again, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"No." I whispered. Then the world fell into darkness.

*****

"Ok so Mayu, what flavour do you want?" My father asked as he pulled out his wallet. He flipped through his Japanese money, _Yen_ as they called it, thinking to himself how much it would cost.

"Oh vanilla bean, two scoops, in a cup with chocolate sprinkles! Please." I replied happily.

"Oh is that all?" He asked sarcastically. I smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Dad I'll just have a chocolate scoop in a cone please." Alessandra replied nonchalantly like she always did. I knew she wanted an ice-cream almost as much as I did, but her pride and "maturity" stopped her from acting like it.

"And for you dear?" My dad asked my mom.

"I'll have the same as Mayu." My mom replied winking at me. I smiled brightly as Alessandra sighed. My dad walked up to the front as it was his turn. He asked for our ice-cream in Japanese, though I didn't understand a word of it, and then paid the man before bringing us our treats.

"Why don't we get a nice seat while we eat?" He asked holding all four ice-creams. He got himself two scoops of chocolate ice-cream in a cup.

"Oh let's sit over there!" I said happily running over to a free table. It was the farthest from the actual ice-cream shop but it was open and not quite as crowded.

"Are you sure you don't want to sit any closer?" My mom asked.

"I'm sure this spot is perfect." I replied smiling.

"Well if you say so then it must be good. Let's dig in before the ice-cream melts." My dad said and came over to the table. I quickly sat down. My mom sat next to me, my dad sat next to her and then my sister sat in between me and my dad. My dad passed each of our ice-creams to us and then lifted his spoon.

"_Itadakimasu_!" He said happily. My mother repeated after him and then my sister.

"Itakakimasoup!" I said happily. Both my mother and father laughed.

"What?" I asked.

"Mayu you pronounced it completely wrong." Alessandra explained sighing and putting her head in her hand.

"Did I? I didn't mean to." I said sadly.

"It's alright sweetie I think you just need to practice your Japanese a little more." My dad said trying to comfort me.

"Let's face it dad it doesn't matter how much she practices she'll never be able to speak Japanese." Alessandra said shaking her head.

"Hey that's not true! Just because you're a natural at it doesn't give you the right to tell me I'll never learn Japanese. I will learn it just you watch me!" I told her and greedily dug into my ice-cream. My mother and father smiled. I stopped suddenly as a sudden chill ran down my spine. I looked up and around. Something wasn't right, but I didn't know what it was.

"What's the matter, get brain freeze?" My dad asked teasingly.

"No." I replied dully.

"Mayu, are you ok?" My mom asked me. She sounded worried.

"I…I don't know." I replied. I shivered.

"Mayu are you ok you're awfully pale." My father pointed out. I didn't answer him. I instead stared out into space. I didn't know what I was looking for. Perhaps it was the thing that gave me this horrible feeling. Maybe it was nothing. Or maybe this ice-cream was bad. I couldn't tell, but I also couldn't stop staring.

"Mayu what's wro- Ahh!" My mom, dad, sister and I quickly covered ourselves as a sudden gust of wind cut Alessandra off. When it passed we pulled our arms away.

"Where in the world did that wind come from?" My dad asked amazed and confused. Alessandra looked around the area.

"No one else seems to have noticed. That's odd." She said under her breath.

"Oh my God Mayu what happened to your arm?!" My mother suddenly burst out. I looked down at my arm and my eyes grew wide. There was a large gash and blood slowly poured from it.

"Oh my God Mayu what happened?!" Alessandra asked.

"Did you get hit by something during that gust of wind?" My dad asked.

"But it's on her right arm, if something was in the wind it would have hit her left arm because of the way she's sitting." Alessandra pointed out.

"We need to get her to the hospital." My mother said. I could hear the worry in her voice. While my parents and sister continued to freak out over the gash I stared down at it. Right away I knew something was wrong with me. I hated blood, the very sight of it scared me to death, yet here I was, staring at my own blood fall down my arm and stain my sweater, and I didn't even care. In fact, I had an almost sick sort if fascination with it. I didn't realize just how red blood actually was. It wasn't even red really. More like a crimson than an actual red.

I tensed as another gust of wind blew by our table. My parents and sister blocked it again with their arms but I just closed my eyes and sat there. I looked up, however, as I heard something, like paper, fall out of my pocket. I searched and then saw my charm flowing away in the wind.

"Oh no my charm!" I yelled and ran after it.

"Mayu stop we need to get you to a hospital!" My dad yelled through the wind.

"I'll be back in, like, two seconds I just need to get it!" I yelled back.

"Mayu stop!" My mom said. I ignored her and ran after the charm. The wind then died down like it had before. The charm floated softly to the ground below it. I ran over and picked it up. I turned and smiled brightly with my eyes closed.

"I got it!" I yelled. I opened my eyes and my face fell.

"Mayu come on get back here so we can get you to the hospital!" My dad called.

"Yeah Mayu this isn't fun and games you're seriously hurt!" Alessandra scolded. My eyes grew wide and I could feel the colour drain from my face. Standing, no, not standing, _floating_ behind my mother, father, and sister was a massive black shadow. It was in the shape of a man. I couldn't make out any real part of his body besides his figure. I wasn't sure if he was wearing clothes or not. All he seemed to be was a black shadow with long, flowing hair. His ruby, red eyes were completely emotionless but it was if he could see right into my very soul. I stood but couldn't even move a finger.

"M-move." I said. But I was so quiet I could barely even hear myself. I stood completely still. I suddenly began shaking all over. I was completely and utterly terrified. This was the feeling I had before. The thing that was completely wrong. This _thing_ had been following me. The only problem was I hadn't noticed it until now, and now was already too late. It was going to do something to my family, and my stomach turned as I knew what that was.

Tears filled my eyes and I suddenly found a sort of courage within me. It wasn't enough to make me move, but at least it was something. I stood on that spot and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Run! Get away! Mom, dad, Alessandra run! It's going to kill you! Run, please run!" I screamed.

"Mayu what are you…?" Alessandra asked.

"Run damn it run! It's right behind you look out! Run, now, just run!" I screamed over and over again. My throat began to hurt but I didn't care. They needed to get away or they were going to die and all I could manage to do was stand there and scream like a child. I fell to my hands and knees and continued to scream. People stopped in the streets and stared at me as I screamed unknown words at people in front of me. I knew they thought I was crazy, or just a teenager rebelling, but I didn't care. I needed to do anything I could to make them move.

I stopped screaming as my voice finally gave out. I looked straight up at them tears falling down my eyes and blood still running down my arm. I looked up at the figure. It floated softly behind them. A light of hope filled my heart as something clicked in my brain. Maybe it wasn't bad. Maybe I suddenly gained the ability to see spirits and this one happened to be interested in our conversation. That light, however, was quickly muffled by a cloud of darkness as a sick smile crossed the spirit's unreadable face.

"_Thank you for the entertainment_. _I can't wait until we meet again_." An eerily calm voice echoed through my head. It was so dark, so evil, my entire body shook with fear. They needed to move, get away, run, _something_! _Please God_, I begged, _make them move please don't let that thing take away my family_._ Please_! I stared at them but none of them seemed to even flinch. God was good, but he wasn't going to help me when he should.

"No! Get away!" I screamed.

"Mayu wha-" My mother was cut off mid-sentence as an unseen blade sliced through my mother, sister, and father. Their faces filled with shock and pain and then, as if in slow motion, fell to the ground beneath them. The spirit smiled at me, that sick, twisted, dark smile, and then vanished as if it never existed. I stared at my family as they lay, dead, and bleeding on the ground. New tears filled my eyes and cascaded down my face.

I must have been in shock because I didn't call out, I didn't even whimper. The tears just freely fell down my face. I slowly and shakily stood to my feet and walked over to their bodies.

"Mom, dad, Alessandra?" I whispered to myself. I continued to walk over to them, slowly, step by step, until I suddenly slipped and fell. I didn't even notice I had fallen and crawled towards their bodies when my legs wouldn't hold me up anymore.

"Mom, dad, Alessandra?" I asked again. I reached out to Alessandra seen as her body was closest. I stopped as my hand landed in a warm liquid. I sat on the back of my legs and brought my hands up. My hands were covered in blood. The crimson liquid I once seemed to have a fascination for quickly disappeared. I stared at my hands then looked up at my family once again. I put my hands on the ground and shook. I pulled my hands up to my arms, hugging myself and the shaking continued. I pulled my hand up to my mouth as I felt vomit trying to escape. The smell of the blood was nauseating. When the sick feeling I had was over my hands fell back to ground. Then the pieces of a puzzle that should never have existed slowly clicked into place.

I screamed.

And I screamed.

And I screamed.

People began to crowd around. Women screamed, men cried in outrage. Questions filled the area. Immediately people took out their cell phones and called the police and ambulances. I knew there was no point. They were already dead and no matter how many people you called they weren't ever coming back. People came up to me.

"_Daijoubu_?"

"_Genki desu ka_?" They asked. I looked up at them. Continuously they asked the same questions as well as others. I didn't know what they were saying or how to respond. I faintly heard the sound of police and ambulance sirens in the background. I looked back, up, forward, down, I looked everywhere. All the sounds and voices and the blood. There was so much of it, all pooling into one puddle. It flowed towards me and covered my legs and hands. I jumped back and slid away. I was shaking all over. Tears fell down my face. I sat up, leaned forward, shut my eyes, held my hands over my ears, and rocked back and forth. I wanted the sounds, the sadness, all of it to just disappear. I wanted this nightmarish world to vanish. I wanted to wake up in my bed and then cry to my mom and dad about the horrible dream I had had. I wanted so much, but no one was going to give me what I wanted. Not now, and not ever again. The world had turned its back on me and it would never show pity to me ever again.

The police finally arrived as well as the medics. The medics came to me, while the police went to my family. I looked up as one of the police officers rolled my mother over. Her brown eyes filled with pain and shock stared right into mine. My shaking worsened. With that one look my entire world completely shattered into millions of pieces. Without even thinking I stood. The medics tried to sit me down but I wouldn't.

Then I ran.

And I ran

And I ran.

And the sick and twisted part of the entire thing was that they knew I was part of that family and that I was hurt and that every piece of me was broken, they knew that but,

No one even bothered to follow me.

Memories can be harsh, and memories can be cold, but memories are the most important

things that you should ever hold.

The person who told me this is dead,

and those memories **killed** me.

**Translation Notes**

**Ohayou: **_Is a condensed way of saying "good morning"._

**-san: **_This is an honorific that is the same as saying "ms, mrs, or mr."_

**Ohayougozaimasu: **_Is a more polite way of saying "good morning"._

**Arigatou Gosaimasu: **_Japanese for "thank you very much"._

**Onee-chan: **_A polite way of saying "older sister" it shows a great respect for the older sibling. _**Note: **"Onii-san" is used to be respectful to an "older brother".

**Onakagasuita: **_Japanese for "I'm hungry"._

**Otouto-san: **_Japanese for "younger brother"._

**Kawaii: **_Japanese for "cute"._

**Gomenesai: **_Japanese for "I'm sorry" or "forgive me"._

**Gomen: **_A shorter version of "Gomenesai". It still means "I'm sorry" but is not quite as polite._

**Yare: **_Japanese for "thank God"._

**Kimono: **_A ceremonial outfit worn by women of all ages. This outfit, usually made of silk, is much like a robe that is wrapped around the body and then held together by a coloured sash also know as an "obi". It is worn for weddings, festivals, dances, and special occasions. These are also often seen being worn by "Geishas"._**Note: **When wearing a kimono or yukata never tie the obi in the front. This was something only done by prostitutes since when the obi is tied in the front it makes it easier for men to take the kimono off. Proper ladies and Geishas always tie their obi in the back.

**Yukata: **_The summer version of a kimono. Still worn for the same reasons but worn in summer so that the women wearing it can keep cool in the hot temperatures._

**Kouun: **_Japanese for "good luck"._

**Ai: **_Japanese for "love"._

**Yen: **_Japanese currency._

**Itadakimasu: **_The Japanese equivalent to saying grace. This Japanese term said before consuming any meal basically means "thank you for the food"._

**Daijoubu: **_This term can be translated in two different ways depending on the way the speaker says it. If "daijoubu" is said as a question such as "daijoubu?" then it translates to "are you alright?" However if "daijoubu" is said normally such as "daijoubu." It means "I'm alright" or "I'm fine"._

**Genki desu ka?: **_This question basically translates to "are you well"?_


	3. Chapter 2: Into the Feudal Era

**Chapter Two**

**Into the Feudal Era**

"No!" I screamed sitting straight up. I immediately reached for my stomach, pain etching its way through my body. I looked down surprised that I was still able to hold myself up. Not only that but I could move my arms. I lifted my hand and moved my fingers. After that I tried wiggling my toes. Still hardly any movement. I sighed and put my hand back down on my covers. My eyes grew wide as I watched small drops land on my hands. It was then that I realized I was crying, and not slow simple tears, but large grieving ones.

_No, not again. Not this time I can't do this to myself again_! I thought bitterly. I lifted my hands and viciously brushed away the tears. _No, no, no, no, no_! I yelled at myself trying to stop the tears. No matter what I did, however, the sting and ache in my heart would not go away.

"Damn it!" I breathed as the tears continued to fall. That was when I realized that I was not alone. I slowly looked up to find a wolf standing in front of me. It was a beautiful wolf with light brown fur and black eyes. It was staring at me. I looked at the wolf and stared it right in the eyes. I quickly wiped away a few more extra tears.

"Where is everyone?" I asked him. The cave was completely empty.

"_There are a few scouts outside protecting the cave. Everyone else is out hunting. Tonight is a full moon so we're having a feast. Other than the scouts everyone else is gathering food for the feast. The more food we have the grander the feast_." The wolf growled.

"Is that so?" I said the tears already drying up. I lifted my hand to the wolf. He smelled it and then allowed me to pet him.

"_Yes, Koga was very strict on who was to stay here. Ginta and Hakkaku are the scouts outside the cave and I have been entrusted to watch over you_." The wolf replied.

"So Koga has stopped trusting his men?" I asked.

"_No, he has a strong trust in them, but he is rather annoyed with them constantly hanging around you. They've been saying things that should not be said. He's worried about you hearing them_." The wolf explained.

"So he doesn't trust me?" I sighed.

"_It is his lack of knowledge over you that he mistrusts. You were, after all, found in the mountains not far from our den. All we know about you is your name, Sister Mayu_." The wolf whined.

"I see. I suppose that makes sense." I said and scratched the wolf behind his ears. He growled lightly. I yawned feeling another wave of drowsiness overcome me.

"_You sound tired Sister Mayu. I will leave you to get some rest_." The wolf said and slowly backed away.

"Very well. Would you promise me one thing?" I asked.

The wolf nodded. "_What is it you wish to ask of me_?"

"Please don't tell Koga, or any of the others, that we spoke. I'd prefer it that they leave me be until I am fit to leave. If they knew I spoke with you, there is a chance they will stay behind to see if I wake up again. And unfortunately my dreams have been nightmarish of late, and I wish for them to know as little about me as possible. If you understand what it is I am saying."

"_Yes Sister Mayu I understand_." The wolf replied and continued to back away. He turned and made his way to the mouth of the cave. He sat down and remained there. I lied back down and sighed. I closed my eyes and slowly let the darkness take me over.

* * *

I had been walking for three days. The streets of Tokyo had started to all look so similar that for all I knew I had been going around in circles. The one place I refused to go back to was…_that_ place. I had walked all around it instead. My feet were sore, my sandals almost torn to shreds. The wound on my arm was dried and scabbed over and I was sweating and dirty, but I didn't care. I just had to get away.

It was early morning. I hadn't eaten, slept, or had anything to drink for three days but I refused to stop. I had to keep going. I had to get away. I continued to walk down the street. I couldn't tell where I was. Being unable to read or speak Japanese was a problem, but it all seemed so illogical now. Why bother doing anything anymore? There was no point. Life just had no meaning to me anymore.

I stopped in front of a large staircase. I looked up at it without really knowing what I was seeing. There were voices coming from the top of it. Without even thinking I began to ascend the stairs. There was a large gate near the top. There was no doubt in my mind that this was a shrine. I continued up the stairs until I reached the top. There was a normal looking house here as well as a shrine building, a normal looking building by the shrine, and a very large tree in the center of the area.

I walked forward towards the tree and looked up at it. It was so beautiful. So large and incredible. It was an amazing sight to behold.

"_Mayu_." I turned as a voice filled my head.

"W-what?" I whispered. My voice cracking as I spoke. My throat was so dry.

"_Mayu. Come here, Mayu_." I felt my body start to tremble. That voice. It was the same voice that had killed them.

"N-no." I said.

"_Come here Mayu_." The voice called. I bent down and covered my ears. I closed my eyes praying that it would go away.

"No, no, no, no please no." I said tears filling my eyes.

"_Mayu, come with me Mayu_." The voice whispered.

"No!" I screamed and started to run. I stopped when I saw someone run by. I hid behind another building. My heart ceased its constant beating when I realized it was a girl. She had long black hair but I could only see her from behind. She walked over to a building furthest from the rest. She opened one of the sliding doors and went in. Curiosity suddenly reared its ugly head inside me and I couldn't help but find myself following her. When I reached the building I hid behind the sliding door and slowly looked in.

The girl was still there. She was standing in front of a wooden well. What in the world was she up to?

"_Sayonara_." I heard her whisper to herself. Suddenly she lifted herself up onto the rim of the well. There was no way, she wasn't going to jump was she? What was she doing? Committing suicide?! I moved to stop her but I was too late. She jumped down and entered the well.

"No stop!" I called and ran into the well. I looked down into the darkness that filled the bottom.

"Hello? Hello are you ok?" I called. There was no answer. Oh this was bad. What if she was hurt? Or worse?

"Come on are you ok? Say something!" I called. Still nothing. I put my hands on the rim of the well. I tried squinting my eyes to see if I could make out a body, but all I could see was black. I tensed and turned as I heard the door to the well slide wide open. A strong wind blew into the well. I put my hands up to protect my face. When I looked up there was nothing there.

"H-hello?" I asked looking around. I slowly backed up until my legs hit the well. There was no reply.

"Who's there?" I asked. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

"_Hello Mayu_." I froze. That voice was back. I couldn't stop myself and screamed. Suddenly there was a rush of air and it pushed me back. I tried to stand my ground but the force was too much. Before I could stop myself I was falling. I closed my eyes waiting for the impact my head was about to have against the cold, hard ground. Soon I was going to join that girl who jumped down the well, and we could die down there together.

I opened my eyes after it seemed like I was falling for much too long. I looked around and was shocked to see I was floating slowly downward surrounded by blue and white lights. I felt almost as if I was underwater and the sun was dancing playfully off of the waves. There were bright white sparkles all around me. It was so beautiful, and at the same time I was frightened and confused.

Where was I? I fell into a well so why was it I was floating through this blue space? Was I already dead? Did I break my neck and die instantly without feeling any pain at all? If so, why was it that I seemed to be floating down, instead of up? I was so confused. None of this made any sense.

"H-hello?" I called. My voice echoed across this abyss I seemed to be falling into. There was no answer besides my own echo. This was so strange. I looked over as something caught my eye. It was like a fog near the edge of the abyss, if it had an edge that was. I stared at it. It wasn't moving at all, just floating there. Just what in the world was it? Suddenly I noticed it move. I blinked a few times thinking maybe it was a trick of the light, but no, the fog was moving towards me!

I attempted to move away from it but for some reason my body wasn't responding to me. What was going on?!

"_You're mine now_." A voice whispered. I didn't recognize it but soon the fog was upon me. It went through my body and disappeared. Suddenly I found myself choking for breath. I reached for my throat and started to cough. I couldn't breathe! I started to panic and gasp for air. This must have been what it felt like to drown or suffocate and not being able to save yourself. Eventually my body just, stopped. I released my throat and slowly continued to float through space. I felt my eyes grow weak and droop.

"_This body is mine_." The voice from before whispered. My eyes continued to close, but something inside me refused to give up.

"Never." I whispered and then everything turned black.

* * *

I moaned as a bright light invaded my eyes. I rolled to the side and then back again but it didn't seem to make any difference.

"_Get up_." A voice called.

"Give me five more minutes." I whispered back.

"_Get up now_." The voice said again. It was a male voice.

"I don't want to." I moaned.

"_Oh for the love of… Get up now you stupid idiot_!" The voice yelled. I jolted upright as the voice rang in my ears.

I yawned. "Alright I'm up." I said and looked around. My eyes shot wide open when I realized I wasn't in my room like I thought I was. I was in a field. There were tress everywhere and green grass as far as I could see. I looked up to see a blue sky and clouds floating gracefully by. I looked behind me and found the wooden well that I had fallen into before…

"That's the well I fell into! Then there was that weird blue light, and that weird moving fog, and now… Just where am I? And wait a second… Why am I talking in Japanese?! And how can I understand myself!" I asked looking around again. Last I had checked I was in Tokyo, now I had no idea where I was. I didn't even know if I was still in Japan.

"_You're still in Japan you idiot, and it's thanks to me you can speak Japanese_." A voice rang out.

"Who said that?" I asked standing and looking around.

"_I did. God you're slow_." The voice replied.

"Where are you?" I demanded looking all around me.

"_You won't be able to see me by doing that. Let's just say… Oh hell with, it you can't see me because I'm inside you_."

"You're _what_?!" I yelled.

"_Ugh, you know chicks like you really piss me off. Look, I don't really know how else to explain this except that I am a spirit. I'm a ghost who was casually walking around when some chick floated past me and well, I tried to possess your body and take it for my own. Only problem is that for some reason I couldn't take complete control. So now here I am, being forced to live inside your stupid brain while you walk around with all my powers. At least it's roomy in here_." The voice replied.

"Yeah, I'm sure. This is some sick joke." I said getting annoyed.

"_Ugh, look girl if you don't believe me go look at yourself in a lake or something_." The voice replied obviously angry. I looked around. There didn't seem to be any lake anywhere near me.

"I can't see a lake." I said crossing my arms.

"_Look you idiot just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not there. Ok keep walking straight and you should eventually come to a clearing with a small lake. Got it? Because I don't like repeating myself_." The voice replied. I glared at nothing and then sighed. I began my walk in the direction the voice had directed me. After walking a few feet through a forest I eventually came into a clearing with a lake in the middle of it, just as the voice had said.

"_Oh look at that, you actually made it. I'm shocked you didn't get lost on the way_." The voice said sarcastically. I ignored its remark and slowly made my way over to the lake. I continually slowed my walk as I got closer. There were butterflies in my stomach and for some reason I was nervous.

"_What's taking so long? Get over there already_!" The voice demanded.

"I'm getting there!" I yelled back. I took in a deep breath and then reached the edge of the lake. I slowly bent down and then leaned over the water. My eyes grew wide with shock.

"What happened to my hair?! What happened to my eyes?! What happened to me?!" I demanded. I reached up and grabbed my hair not believing what I was seeing. My hair was black. The auburn colour that I had inherited from my father was gone. All that remained was a deep midnight black. My eyes had also changed. Before both eyes were a deep cerulean blue, now, one was jade green.

I played with my hair still not believing it and pushed it behind my ears. My eyes grew wide again as I found my ears had turned from being rounded. They were now tapered to a point at the tips. They were more rectangular than round. I opened my mouth and found that even my teeth had changed. The canines were much longer and sharper than before.

"What…happened to me?" I asked again staring at my nails which had grown longer and were sharpened like claws.

"_I told you, I tried to take over your body but for some reason couldn't get through so now I'm stuck in here and you've got my powers_." The voice replied.

"But, what powers?! Why are my ears pointed, why is my hair black, and why is one of my eyes green?!" I demanded.

"_Because you're a wolf-demon and you've taken on some of my traits_!" The voice yelled angrily.

"What? What do you mean 'wolf-demon'? And what do you mean 'traits'?" I asked.

"_Ok, look girl, a wolf-demon is exactly what it sounds like. In the Feudal Era, which is the time period you are in now five hundred years in the past, there are humans, demons and half-demons. Demons are what I was and what you are now. We are stronger, faster, and have better senses compared to humans. In fact, demons practically rule this era. There are different types of demons, too many for me to bother talking about. You are a wolf-demon which means you are a demon who resembles a human but you can control wolves._

"_My traits are what you have now. At least you have one of my green eyes and my black hair. Also when I possessed your body you learned some of the things I know, including Japanese. That's what I was talking about when I said you had my traits. Unfortunately you couldn't have my good-looks but I suppose I couldn't let you have everything_." The voice said smugly. I put my hand on my head. This was so much to take in all at once. One moment I was walking aimlessly around Japan and falling into a well after a girl I didn't know, and now… I just didn't know what to think.

I ran my fingers through my hair and was suddenly disgusted at the dirt and filth that came out of it.

"I need a bath." I said to myself.

"_Wait, what_?" The voice asked suddenly sounding worried.

"I need a bath mysterious spirit inside my head. I'm dirty and gross. Do you have a problem with that?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"_Yeah I do actually_." The voice replied.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"_Well you see, I'm in your head and technically your body, so anything you feel I can feel and anything you see…I…can…see_." The voice replied slowly.

"Wait, so if I was to look down…" I said looking down. I could barely see in my shirt but the top of my chest was visible along with part of my bra.

"_Don't look down! I don't want to see your stupid body_!" The voice yelled and it felt almost like he recoiled. I quickly looked up and felt my face turn red.

"You can see what I see?! How the hell am I supposed to get changed? Or have a bath? Or do anything else without you seeing?!" I demanded.

"_How the hell should I know? You're the chick you figure it out_!" The voice yelled.

"I am not a 'chick' I'm a woman and I have a name so use it!" I yelled back.

"_Well so do I and I haven't heard you use it either_!"

"Well you haven't introduced yourself to me yet!"

"_Well neither have you_!"

"You're the stupid spirit that possessed my body without my permission so I think you should tell me your name first!"

"_You're the stupid girl that screwed up my plans_!"

"Stupid spirit!"

"Idiotic girl!"

"_**Shut up**_!" We both yelled at the same time. I crossed my arms angrily and pouted. I could tell the voice was doing the same thing. Even though I couldn't see him I could feel that he was doing the same thing. We were silent for a moment, a soft wind floating across the clearing.

"_It's Nekuro_." I sat up as I heard his voice again.

"What?" I asked.

"_I said my name is Nekuro_!" The voice replied.

"Nekuro… I see. My name is Mayu." I said ignoring his anger.

"_Mayu…_" Nekuro said. I was confused at the sudden regret in his voice.

"Nekuro, are you ok?" I asked.

"_I'm fine, it's none of your business. Are you having a bath or what? Unless you haven't noticed your increased sense of smell is making it a lot more apparent how much of a bath you really need. You're disgusting_." Nekuro said and I could feel him plug his nose. I sniffed the air and immediately scrunched my own nose. It was true. My heightened sense of smell was picking up scents I would have missed completely if I was still human.

"But how do you expect me to have a bath when you can see what I see? Unless you want to." I said raising an eyebrow.

"_Don't flatter yourself you idiot. Your smell is a disgrace to you and therefore to me. Close your eyes or something, or just don't look down. The last thing I want to see is your body_." Nekuro added with a new found disgust in his voice. I glared and then sighed realizing it was pointless to argue with him now.

"Fine, I'll figure something out." I replied and sat in contemplation. The best I could think of was to close my eyes while getting undressed and lunging into the water and then opening them to clean myself, while managing to not look at myself. If this could at least keep some peace between us then I might as well.

I took my sweater, shirt, and bra off first making sure not to open my eyes or look down. Next I took off my shorts, but then stopped when I noticed I could feel something brushing against my leg. I felt it was safe enough to look as long as I didn't directly look at the rest of my body. When I looked down my eyes grew wide.

"What the hell is this?!" I demanded grabbing the long piece of fur that seemed to be coming out of my body, almost like an extension of my spinal cord.

"_It's your tail dumb ass_." Nekuro replied.

"My _what_?!" I demanded.

"_You're a freaking wolf-demon so you have a freaking tail get over it. It's like the ears and claws they're just part of the wolf-demon package, now could you stop looking at yourself it's creeping me out_." Nekuro said angrily. I turned around but couldn't help turn back to look at my tail. It was dark brown, almost black.

"Wait, does this mean if I was a real wolf my fur would be dark brown?" I asked turning back around.

"_Wow, you're smarter than I thought_." Nekuro said sarcastically.

"Thanks." I replied in the same tone. I sighed and undressed. I then slowly made my way over to the water's edge, making sure my clothes were right by the side so I'd know where to find them quickly. I didn't want to waste anymore time so I immediately jumped straight into the water. Big mistake. I immediately swam back up to the surface and hugged myself.

"It's freezing!" I screamed. I could feel my lips turning blue and I was shaking.

"_Honestly, is all you do complain? Suck it up you stupid idiot_." Nekuro scolded.

"Easy for you to say, you're up in my mind where it's all nice and warm while I have to freeze in the stupid water!" I yelled.

"_I am not! You idiot I told you before, anything you feel I can feel so I am not warm up here I'm just as cold as you are except I'm ignoring it_!" Nekuro retorted. I stopped and thought about this for a moment, realizing it was true, he did say something like that before.

"Fine, whatever." I replied and quickly dove under the water. I got a slight brain freeze due to the cold but I ignored it figuring it was best to get myself clean than to worry about what the temperature of the water was. I swam for awhile contemplating my predicament. All I knew was that I was alone, besides Nekuro, and I was in a time and place that I didn't know nor recognize. It was so strange. I had never gone anywhere I didn't know alone before in my entire life, this was like a new experience, and I suddenly felt myself becoming excited at the thought.

"_Are you done yet? All this thinking you're doing is giving me a headache_." Nekuro complained. I rolled my eyes underwater and slowly made my way back to the surface. I took in a deep gasp of air and began floating around in the water.

"This water isn't so bad once you get used to it." I said mostly to myself.

"_I'm sure, can you get out already? I'm getting bored_." Nekuro said. I sighed and turned on my stomach so I could front stroke back to the shore.

"Yes your highness." I replied sarcastically.

"_It's about time_." He growled. I rolled my eyes again but ignored his comment and made my way to the shore. I dived under once more to give my hair a good rinse and then resurfaced. My eyes grew wide as I saw a group of men standing around my clothes.

"Hey, you think there's anything worth stealing here?" One of them asked.

"I don't think so, this clothing is so strange." Another replied. I felt my face burn red as he held up my bra.

"You're telling me, what matter of demon wears clothing like this?" Another asked holding up my sweater.

"Those jerks better put my clothes down." I said glaring.

"_Well don't just float here, you're a demon, go kick their asses. They're only little humans_!" Nekuro ordered.

"Alright fine." I replied and swam closer to the edge. The men looked up as they heard my small splashes and stared at me.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?! Put my clothes back!" I demanded, sounding more confident than I felt.

"Are these clothes yours girl?" One of them asked. He was wearing a folded shirt and hakama, then again they all were.

"Yes they are, now put them back!" I demanded again.

"And if we refuse?" Another asked.

"Then I'll…um…I'll…uh…" I stammered. I wasn't actually sure what I was going to do.

"_You'll kill them you idiot! You're a wolf-demon, tell them that and they'll go running with their tails between their legs_!" Nekuro answered for me.

"I'll kill you. I'm a wolf-demon so don't think I won't you worthless humans." I added the last part myself but it felt weird saying the words with my own voice.

"_Nice touch_." Nekuro said giving me my first bit of praise since speaking with him.

"A-a wolf-demon?!" The man who was holding my sweater stammered. I could already see they were all shaking and clearly afraid of me.

"Yes, I am a wolf-demon, and if you don't leave my clothes be I'll kill every last one of you." I threatened. _Come on_, I thought to myself, _run away already, go on go_! I pleaded.

"_No, let them stay, we can kill them then and have a feast tonight_." Nekuro said and I could hear the hunger behind his words. The men looked like they were ready to run off when one of them suddenly unsheathed his katana.

"Come on men, it's only one little girl, we can take her whether she is a demon or not!" The four men stood guard at the shoreline. _You fools_! I thought to myself angrily.

"_Yes, a real fight! I have been waiting for this_!"

"But I have no idea how to fight," I muttered under my breath, "not only that but I'm completely naked remember?" I demanded.

"_Who cares? Just use your instincts. You're a wolf-demon now fighting should come naturally_." Nekuro replied.

"But what about being _naked_?!" I demanded more fervently.

"_How should I know, you figure it out_." Nekuro replied. I rolled my eyes. Ok, fighting, that should be easy. Kick, punch, and it's all done. At least I hoped it was that easy. I also needed to remember to do this fast so that the men saw as little of me as possible. I slowly made my way over to shore into shallower water. I managed to keep my body underwater but it was becoming difficult.

"Here she comes men, be ready." The leader ordered.

"This is ridiculous." I breathed. Before Nekuro could comment I launched myself at the first man. I lifted a fist and punched him in the face. The man immediately fell backwards and was knocked unconscious.

"Well that wasn't so ba-" I was cut off as a searing pain filled my side. I looked down to see blood dripping from my waist.

"_Idiot! If you don't kill them they are going to kill you! Don't you get it?! Humans don't want to be friends and they will not hold back. If you don't kill them they will come and stab you in the back. Kill them and do it quickly or you'll die_!" Nekuro ordered. I turned to the man who had stabbed me. His katana was covered with my blood. I sniffed the air and tensed. My blood, he had spilled my blood. I felt a sudden rage build up inside me, one that I had never felt before. It was ferocious, and it was telling me, this man and anyone involved with him, needed to die.

I turned to face him and I could feel my eyes grow smaller and more ferocious in a deathly glare. I lifted my right hand and flexed it causing my claws to appear sharper.

"You're mine human." I growled. The man looked at me and fear immediately filled his face. I ignored it and lunged bringing my hand forward. Within an instant blood was spurting from the man's neck and he was falling to the ground. I flexed my hand again as blood dripped from it. I brought my hand up and licked the blood finding it delicious to my taste buds. It was so sweet, unlike anything I had ever had.

"M-monster!" One of the other men called and ran at me. I turned and jumped to the side with lightning speed just as he brought his katana down. I turned and brought my hand around cutting through bone, nerve, muscle, and sinew to decapitate his head. It fell to the ground with a thud and rolled to the side. I turned to the other men my hands covered in blood. The remaining men looked at me and turned to flee.

"I don't think so." I whispered. I grabbed the two katana that the other men had dropped and threw them at the fleeing men. Both katana hit the targets and the men fell with katana sticking out of the back of their heads. I then turned back to the man who was still unconscious. Without any effort or emotion I slit his throat finishing the job. I smirked as all my prey had been killed. My duty was done.

"_Nice job_." Was all Nekuro had to say. I fell to my knees and shook my head. I had a splintering headache. After I shook my head I looked down at my hands. My eyes grew wide with shock and I began to shake.

"W-what, have I done?" I asked myself.

"_You killed some stupid humans, who cares? If you hadn't killed them they would have killed you_." Nekuro stated as if it were obvious.

"B-but, I've never killed…another human before." I said still shaking.

"_So, there's a first time for everything_." Nekuro replied.

"But that's not it…I killed a human, and I used to be one, but, feeling them falling at my feet, and all this power, I-I liked it. I liked it a lot." I hugged myself trying to calm my nerves.

"_You're a wolf-demon now, how many times do I have to tell you that? We wolf-demons fight, we kill, and we get pleasure from killing and fighting. The thrill of the hunt is one thing all wolf-demons share_." Nekuro explained.

"But I'm not like other wolf demons, I used to be human."

"_Your point_?" Nekuro asked. He was obviously getting bored with the conversation.

"My point is that I will never kill another being who causes me no harm." I replied standing.

"_What_?!" Nekuro asked completely shocked.

"I will never kill anyone that doesn't do me wrong. I've decided. You said there are other demons in this world right? Ones that are probably out of control and deserve to be killed correct?" I asked.

"_Well yeah but_..." Nekuro trailed off.

"But nothing. From now I will only kill those demons and humans who cross my path. If they start the fight I will retaliate but other than that I will not fight if I don't have to." I replied.

"_But why are you deciding this now? Those men did hurt you so you're in the right_!" Nekuro defended.

"No, only two of them attacked me, the others were running away and one of them was unconscious. I should have left them be, but I did not. That is why I am making this vow, so I will not commit the same crime as before." I replied.

"_You're such an idiot_!" Nekuro yelled angrily. I ignored him. I knew exactly why he was upset. I was going against what a wolf-demon was and he especially loved to fight. I was taking that thrill away from him, but I had no choice. I couldn't do it, not after what I had seen happen before. It just didn't feel right. My mind was made up and I wasn't going to change it.

I sighed and walked over to my clothes. I picked them up and started to redress myself.

"_Hang on, you're not putting those disgusting clothes back on again are you_?" Nekuro asked.

"Well what else to you expect me to wear? I have no other clothes." I replied coldly.

"_You can't wear those it's disgraceful…to me. They're not going to do you any good either if we come across a stronger demon. Even a human could kill you with a simple arrow if you wear those thin sheets_." Nekuro said.

"Then what should I wear?" I asked getting annoyed.

"_You need armour. Actually you need proper wolf-demon armour and pelt to wear. That and a wolf companion, which we can worry about later. For now you need better protection_."

"So you're saying I need armour and a pelt to protect myself?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"_Of course. The armour for protection, and the pelt to signify you're a wolf-demon. The pelt needs to be made out of wolf fur anyway_." Nekuro explained.

"And where am I going to get the tools, skill, and items in order to make this armour and pelt?" I asked waiting for a direct answer. Nekuro didn't say anything. I figured he must be thinking about it without telling me.

"Don't hurt yourself." I breathed.

"_Shut up you stupid fool_." He replied and then fell silent again. It was then that I realized that even though Nekuro could hear my thoughts, I couldn't hear his.

"Why is that?" I wondered out loud. I was hoping for an answer but Nekuro ignored me. _Guess that's another question I'll have to wait for to be answered_. I thought to myself. I sighed and started to pace. I figured it would add to the thinking atmosphere that had fallen over Nekuro's mind. After awhile, however, the silence was starting to get to me. After my fight it seemed like my senses were even stronger and I wanted to just break free and run for the rest of my life.

"_Would you stop thinking so loud you're hurting my head_." Nekuro finally commented.

"Did you think of something?" I asked ignoring his rash comment.

"_Of course I did. I know exactly where we can find all the materials needed and someone who can do the job for us_." Nekuro stated. I could feel him floating in my mind feeling suddenly determined and confident.

"And just where is this said place and person?" I asked itching to get moving.

"_We need to head west. From here if you keep heading west you'll eventually come across a barren plain by a mountain range. The person we are looking for lives there, or at least last time I checked he did. Head there and we'll actually be getting somewhere_." Nekuro explained.

"Finally!" I smiled and turned to run when I stopped.

"_Well, what's wrong? Why aren't we going anywhere_?" Nekuro asked. I stood and scratched my face smiling awkwardly.

"I don't know which way west is." I said laughing awkwardly. I could feel Nekuro fall over in my mind and continued to scratch my face.

"_You stupid idiot! You don't know anything do you?! This is completely ridiculous I must have gotten stuck with the stupidest person ever_!" Nekuro yelled.

"Hey I've never had to travel by myself before so I don't know my directions that well. Not to mention I failed in geography…" I trailed off at the last part.

"_I have to do everything around here. Turn left and keep going that way_." Nekuro grumbled. I had made him angry again, but it wasn't all my fault. If he didn't have such a bad temper this wouldn't be happening. I sighed and decided it was best to do as he said for now. From where I was standing I turned left. I was facing a dense part of the forest. I took in a deep breath and started to walk.

"_What are you walking for? We won't get there for days if you walk you stupid fool_." Nekuro scolded. I rolled my eyes. I wasn't planning on walking the whole way. I was just walking to get myself started. As I reached the forest's edge I picked up my pace. Soon I was running at what felt like full speed to me.

"Wow, this is incredible." I said as I felt my feet moving beneath me. The wind was whipping past my face and branches and roots were attempting to throw off my balance but nothing could stop me. I felt invincible.

"_You can go faster, come on pick up the pace already_." Nekuro demanded. I smiled and started running even faster. This feeling was amazing. I had never run so hard or for so long before in my life, and I wasn't even breaking a sweat. This was the best I had ever felt in my entire life. All that existed was me and the path my feet took me down.

"So this is what freedom feels like." I whispered to myself.

"_Yeah, freedom_." Nekuro sighed. I was shocked at how melancholy he sounded.

"Nekuro, are you alright?" I asked genuinely concerned. Though I barely knew him it was apparent that if he did something nice or didn't yell at me it meant something was wrong.

"_No, it's none of your business you idiot. Keep running, at least you're not going as slow anymore, so we should reach our destination in about an hour or so which is good. Now do me a favour and don't bother me I don't want to talk to you_." He finished.

"Fine, if you want to be like that." I scoffed but did as Nekuro asked. Something was wrong, so leaving him alone was a good plan. I continued down the path until I finally came out of the forest. I could see the mountain range along the horizon. I was close, closer than I first expected. I still didn't say anything and left Nekuro to himself, though he did bark directions at me if I started to veer of course. I didn't mind though, for some reason I was happy to have Nekuro there. With him there, I didn't feel quite as lonely, and that was a feeling I had been hanging onto for far too long.

* * *

As Nekuro had said it took about an hour for me to reach the plain. It was barren like he had said. The ground was dark and there was no life anywhere as far as I could tell.

"_Head into the plain, I'll tell you where to go from there_." Nekuro said. I nodded and slowly made my way into the plain with Nekuro telling me which way to go. I shivered and hugged myself. Something about this place sent shivers up my spine. It was so barren so, _dead_, I was surprised anyone could find a way to live here. There were some bones strewn across certain areas, but as far as I could tell, this place was empty.

After following Nekuro's directions I finally came across what looked like the mouth and head of a gigantic dragon or beast of some sort.

"_We're here, finally_." Nekuro sighed.

"T-this is it? The person we're looking for lives here?" I asked concerned. Who would have the right mind to live in a desolate place such as this? And in such an unappealing home?

"_This is it, go on in already_." Nekuro demanded getting tired of my small fears. I swallowed hard and slowly crept towards the head. For some reason the only thought that occurred to me while going towards it was that at any second it was going to come alive and eat me whole.

I continued to inch towards it. Nekuro was yelling at me to go faster, but any bravery or confidence I had before was long gone. This place was frightening, and I really didn't want to go in, but as far as Nekuro knew, I didn't have a choice.

Finally I reached the mouth of the dragon and peered inside. It seemed to lead into a black tunnel but I couldn't see much of anything. The smell of wood burning and tobacco smoke wafted up through the cavern. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard again before making my descent.

The walk down the cavern seemed to be taking long. This must have been a great beast whatever it was. The walls of the cavern were lined with rock and bones of what, I did not know. The floor itself was just hard dirt that had covered the ground outside.

"Who is it we're seeing again?" I asked. It had been awhile before Nekuro or I had said anything to each other.

"_You'll see once we get down there_." He replied. I swallowed again. Just what was Nekuro getting me into? Finally there was a light at the end of the cavern. I picked up my pace and within a moment I was at what I assumed as the door to a room. I looked inside and was surprised to find a smoldering fire stove as well as an anvil, blacksmith tools, and other things needed to create steel masterpieces. Though the only really light came from the blazing fire of the stove, the room had a homey quality about it.

"H-hello?" I called. There was no one in the room so I guessed that perhaps they were elsewhere in the cavern. The way my echoed seemed to carry forever someone must have heard me.

"What's this? I haven't had a customer in years." I turned to face another opening to a separate cavern. My eyes filled with shock as I saw the man standing there. His hands were on his hips and he was staring at me. He was wearing a kimono that was too small for him to be sure. It was just black with a few smudged white areas. The obi was white but also smudged.

The man himself was very fat, his stomach almost bulging out of the kimono. His legs, however, in proportion to his body were quite small and short, very stubby for a man of his stature. His head was large as well. It was more rounded due to his excess fat and he had a double chin. His nose was flat against his face and his eyes were large, slanted, and they were an eerie bright blue that glowed in the dark passage. His ears were long and pointed. He had no hair except a few strands of black hair that grew from his scalp, and his skin was an ochre tone.

"_He hasn't changed a bit. He promised me he'd loose some weight too, that sneaky bastard_." I could feel Nekuro smirk to himself.

"W-who are you?" I asked still not knowing who this strange looking man was. The man looked up and me and lifted a long pip to his mouth. He crossed his arms and smiled, all his pointed teeth gleaming.

"Name's Mugen, how can I help ye?"


	4. Chapter 3: Master Blacksmith Mugen

**Chapter Three**

**Master Blacksmith Mugen**

"Name's Mugen, how can I help ye?" I stared at the fat man standing in front of me.

"_He's not a man idiot, he's a demon, like you and me, except not a wolf-demon_."

"I think I could figure that part out on my own." I muttered back to Nekuro.

"You say somethin'?" Mugen asked standing up straight and resting his hands in the open part of his kimono.

"Uh, no, no I didn't say anything." I replied.

"It's been awhile since I had any visitors, especially one so..." Mugen paused to look me up and down, "_interestin_'." He finished. I felt some bile from my stomach force its way up my esophagus, but I forced it back down.

"_Stop being such a, well, a woman. He's a lower class demon, not even worth your time_."

"Then why am I here?" I demanded.

"_To get the armour, he's the only blacksmith I would trust making my armour, so he's the only one you're going to trust to make yours_." Nekuro explained.

"Who are ye talking to?" Mugen asked. I looked up to realize he was closer to me than he was before. I took a step back instinctively. Mugen smiled.

"_Tell him why you're here_." Nekuro demanded. By now I knew better than to question him.

"I need armour, and a pelt." I said quickly. Mugen stopped and crossed his arms.

"Do ye now? And why would ye come lookin' for someone like me then?" He asked. I stayed quiet unable to think of an answer.

"_Ok this isn't going to work, he doesn't do well with people he doesn't trust. Tell him he made you armour before_."

"You made me armour before." I repeated Nekuro's words. I sounded like an idiot. Mugen raised an eyebrow.

"Did I now? Sorry missy, I remember every customer tha' I ever helped and ye are not one of 'em." Mugen replied turning away.

"_He only ever helped one customer that bastard_."

"You only ever helped one customer you bastard." I repeated.

"_You stupid idiot you weren't supposed to repeat that_!" Nekuro scolded. Mugen stopped walking and turned back to face me.

"What was that little missy?" He asked a dark shadow crossing his face.

"I-I said, you only helped one, customer..." I said losing confidence.

"And why would a little missy like ye, in the strange garb ye seem to be in, know anythin' about my customers?" He asked.

"_Shit now we're in for it. Screw it, tell him you know me since you've screwed everything up already_." Nekuro sighed.

"I know Nekuro." I blurted out. Mugen's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Do ye now? I haven' heard from that cheeky bastard in years. Why would he suddenly send a little missy to do his dirty work? Unless he's got lazy over the years. Or maybe he's busy with another little missy like yeself." Mugen chuckled.

"Watch what you say you stupid bastard!" I suddenly blurted out. The only thing was, it wasn't my voice, it was Nekuro's. Mugen stopped and stared at me. I took a deep breath completely shocked. What the hell just happened?  
"_Son of a bitch can't talk about me like that_." Nekuro growled.

"Well I'll be damned..." Mugen whispered. Suddenly he grabbed my chin and pulled my head down. I tried to get away but he had a firm grip. He stared into my eyes and suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

"I don' believe it! Nekuro is tha' ye in there?" Mugen asked a new found glint in his eye.

"_Bastard figured it out. Might as well tell him, this mind game is pissing me off anyway_." I sighed and nodded my head. Mugen burst into a new fit of laughter.

"Gone and got yeself killed and managed to rope yeself a new body. Not a bad choice, ye have good taste in women, like usual I suppose."

"Nekuro I'm learning things about you I really don't want to know." I said out loud.

"Talkin' to yeself now Nekuro?" Mugen asked.

"No he isn't. Nekuro is, um, _inside_ me I guess you could put it. He sort of tried to possess my body and kind of, failed." I explained. Mugen looked at me for a moment and then burst into more fits of laughter.

"That stupid bastard, I always knew he had it comin'. I never expected him to be beaten by a little missy such as yeself Miss..." Mugen trailed off without knowing my name.

"Oh, um, my name is Mayu." I replied.

"Ah, nice name. It suits ye. So I suppose with ye bein' here Nekuro ratted me out?"

"Yes I guess he did. He...I need armour and a pelt. I can't run around in these clothes." I explained tugging on my sweater.

"No ye can't. I can tell by lookin' at ye, ye wouldn't last a moment out there. Not with those humans runnin' about with demon blood on their minds. So ye be needin' armour, a nice fur pelt to match ye tail and a katana just in case."

"Well, how am I supposed to get the minerals or steel or fur to make any of this?" I asked.

"Missy Mayu ye won' be needin' any of tha'. This entire cave is full of everythin' I need to make ye armour. As for a pelt, well, when a wolf nears the end of its life it sometimes brings itself down here. An' when tha' happens I wait for 'em to die an' then I take their pelts."

"That's horrible!" I said shocked.

"How so? I don' kill the wolves. If I did tha' the wolf-demons would have me dead before my time. No I wait real peaceful like until they pass on an' then take the pelts. I give 'em a good burial and all. Gotta keep the peace. Wouldn' want any angry wolf spirits after me. Bad karma." Mugen explained.

"Oh, ok I guess that makes sense." I replied.

"Good, now tha' that's out of the way, it's time we get ye measured. Ye won't be fittin' into any of Nekuro's armour that's for certain. Ye chest is too big, ye waist is too small and ye hips are too wide."

"Excuse me?" I asked unimpressed.

"I mean no insult missy. My armour needs to fit ye perfectly. Time to measure. Ten, Chi get yeselves out here, we have a new customer." Mugen called clapping his hands.

"Customer, customer, customer!" I heard the echo of two tiny voices heading towards us. Suddenly two little demons came bouncing out of one of the tunnels. Neither of them was over two feet tall. One resembled a fox. Its eyes were closed and it had two tails instead of one. It was wearing a dark red vest that had the kanji for "Chi" on it. The other demon looked like a racoon with light brown fur. It had dark brown circles around its eyes and darker brown ears. It was wearing a dark blue vest with the kanji for "Ten" on it.

"Ten!"

"And Chi!"  
"At your service!" They both said at the same time. My eyes lit up as the two little demons walked in.

"They're so cute!" I said smiling. They both turned to me slightly shocked and they both blushed.

"Ten, Chi, this is Mayu. She's our new customer. I want ye two to measure her for me." Mugen said.

"Yes sir!" They both said at the same time. Suddenly from the confines of their vests they pulled out two tape measures. Chi started first by measuring my arm length and leg length. I giggled as his fur tickled my skin.

"_Would you stop that? It's embarrassing_." Nekuro complained.

"I can't help it. It tickles." I said through small giggles. Chi stopped on my shoulder and looked at me.

"Master Mugen, the Miss is talking to herself." He pointed out.

"No Chi, she's talkin' to Nekuro, leave her be and continue to work. I don' train slackers." Mugen said sternly.

"Yes sir, sorry sir." Chi said and continued to measure my arms and legs. He continued while shouting out measurements to Ten who wrote them down.

"Ok switch!" Ten called. Chi immediately stopped and switched places with Ten. Ten jumped up.

"Lift your arms please Miss." Ten asked politely.

"Oh, ok." I said and lifted my arms. Ten then began to measure around my chest, waist, hips, shoulders, every part of my body not already covered by Chi. Ten yelled out measurements (which got rather awkward when he shouted out my chest size) and Chi wrote them down.

"All done!"

"All done!" Chi and Ten said right after each other.

"Good job boys, now hand over them measurements and I can begin working on little missy's armour." Mugen said. Chi and Ten ran over to Mugen and handed over their notes. Mugen looked them over and then looked at me.

"I need three days to finish this armour and katana. Until I finish with it ye can head into that tunnel there. Chi and Ten are gonna help ye choose a pelt and ye can make yeself comfy. Chi, Ten, I expect ye to take good care of missy here." Mugen ordered.

"Yes sir!" They both agreed at the same time. Then they ran over, jumped up and grabbed my hands.

"This way Miss, this way." They chimed together. They led me down a tunnel. It became darker the further we headed in until I could barely see anything. All I could do was trust Chi and Ten to lead me in the right direction. Soon we came up to another dimly lit room. I walked in to see wolf pelts lining the walls.

"This seems so wrong..." I whispered to myself.

"_It's because wolf-demons don't like to see their kind hung up to dry like this. Don't worry too much about it. Like Mugen said he only takes pelts from wolves who have passed on so calm down and pick a pelt. Preferably one that matches your tail_." Nekuro explained.

"Um, ok." I said looking at the wall.

"Pick any pelt you like Miss." Chi said.

"Perhaps this brown one, or the white one?" Ten proposed. I looked at all the pelts, but none of them seemed right. That one was too light, the white pelt would look ridiculous...no I needed something else. Something that was for me. Something like...

"This one." I said reaching and grabbing a pelt that was dark brown, almost black. It was perfect. The fur was soft and warm. It was so smooth, everything about it just felt right.

"I like this pelt." I stated smiling.

"The Miss chose a pelt, the Miss chose a pelt!" Chi and Ten said. They held hands and jumped around in a circle. They both looked so happy. Chi and Ten stopped jumping around and grabbed the pelt. They pulled it from the wall and handed it to me.

"Your pelt Miss, your pelt." They said handing it to me. I took the pelt and wrapped it around myself. It was so warm.

"It's perfect. Thank you Chi, Ten." I said smiling.

"The Miss is very welcome." Ten said smiling.

"Yes the Miss is. Now come with us we need to take the Miss to the Miss' room." Chi said as they both grabbed my hands again and led me down the opposite tunnel. This time we came into a room that had some straw piled in a corner and another small fireplace built into one of the walls.

"This will be your room Miss. Just until Master Mugen has finished your armour and katana." Chi explained.

"This straw is your bed. It is not very comfortable but it's the best we have." Ten added jumping on the straw.

"Oh no that's fine. It'll be more comfortable than anything I've slept on in awhile." I smiled. Chi and Ten smiled back at me and then bowed.

"Please excuse us Miss." They both said and then scampered out of the room.

"They're so sweet." I whispered affectionately.

"_Ugh, they're little vermin. I'm surprised Mugen took on apprentices, he prefers to be alone_." Nekuro said.

"They are not vermin, they're cute. Hey Nekuro I have a question." I said sitting on the straw bed.

"_Oh great, what now_?" He asked.

"Well, I can hear your thoughts in my head, but so far I've only talked to you out loud. If I think what I want to tell you can you hear it?" I asked.

"_You're honestly full of stupid questions. Of course I can, your constant thinking has been driving me insane_."

"Then why didn't you tell me before? I could have just thought what I wanted to say instead of speaking out loud and looking like an idiot!" I yelled angrily.

"_You never asked, and you never tried, so don't yell at me for your own stupidity_."

"I really hate you."

"_The feeling is mutual, idiot_." I glared at a spot on the floor and sighed. I lied down on the straw, using the wolf pelt as a blanket.

"Hey Nekuro?"

"_What the hell do you want now_?"

"I have another question."

"_Ugh, not again, I swear if it's another stupid question I'm gonn_-"

"Why did you possess me?" I asked interrupting him. Suddenly Nekuro became quiet. He didn't say anything for awhile. Something was wrong.

"Nekuro?" I said concerned.

"_Because I needed a body and you were there so I decided to take yours. Simple as that, now stop asking questions_." He demanded. I was shocked at the tone he used, it was different from his usual sarcastic and insulting tone. This one was harsh and cold. It was definitely weird but then again everything I had been through so far was weird. I was in the _Feudal Era_ five hundred years in the past and I was a wolf-demon. A _wolf-demon_ of all things. It was such a strange experience.

I yawned realizing I hadn't slept in three days. I was exhausted.

"Night Nekuro." I said getting comfortable on the straw and under my new wolf pelt.

"_Sure_." Nekuro replied. I rolled my eyes but smiled and fell asleep.

"Miss, Miss it's time to get up."

"Come Miss we have breakfast for you." I rolled over and slowly opened my eyes. Chi and Ten were standing in front of me trying to wake me up. I jolted up and jumped back completely shocked.

"Miss, are you alright Miss?" Chi asked.

"Oh, uh, yes, I'm fine." I replied.

"That's good Miss. Good morning, we brought you some new clothes to wear." Ten said handing me a simple maroon coloured Kimono with a black obi.

"Yes good morning Miss, we also prepared breakfast for you Miss. Master Mugen is in the main cove and is expecting you Miss." Chi added.

"Oh, thank you Chi, Ten."

"You're very welcome Miss." Chi said smiling.

"Yes, very welcome Miss. We'll wait in the tunnel for you to change Miss." Ten smiled and then the two of them left to wait in the tunnel. I looked around the cove I was in and then looked at my hands.

"So, it wasn't all a dream." I whispered to myself.

"_You honestly thought it was all a dream? You really are stupid_."

"Oh, Nekuro, good morning to you too." I said sarcastically. He didn't respond. I sighed and stood with the kimono in my hand.

"Just a heads up Nekuro, I'm going to change." I warned.

"_Whatever, just don't look at yourself_." Nekuro said with less force than usual.

"Nekuro are you ok?" I asked.

"_No, I hate mornings and just because you aren't tired doesn't mean I'm not. Your stupid dreams kept me up all night_." Nekuro yawned proving his point.

"I didn't have any dreams last night."

"_None that you can remember_."

"Whatever." I sighed and undressed. I put the kimono on and tied the obi tightly. I looked down at myself. The kimono looked nice, at least I thought it looked like it did. I really wish I had a mirror.

"I'm surprised I was able to put in on properly." I said holding out my arms to look at the sleeves.

"_I've undone enough of those kimonos it shouldn't be hard to figure out. You do have some of my intelligence remember_?" My face fell and I crossed my arms.

"You disgust me."

"_It's a fact of life sweetheart_."

"I preferred it when you called me stupid."

"Miss, are you dressed Miss?" Chi asked coming into the cove with his eyes covered. Ten came in after him also with his eyes covered. Ten walked into Chi and they both fell over. I laughed and went over to them.

"Are you both ok?" I asked. They both stood with their eyes still covered.

"Yes Miss, Chi is ok."

"And Ten is ok too." They both said.

"That's good, and you can uncover your eyes, I'm dressed." I told them. They both uncovered their eyes and smiled.

"Miss you look very pretty." Chi said.

"Yes, very pretty Miss." Ten agreed.

"Thank you, you two are very sweet." They both blushed and looked at the ground. They put their hands behind their backs and shuffled back and forth nervously. I had embarrassed them.

"Um, so, did you say Mugen was expecting me?" I asked changing the subject. They suddenly both perked up and grabbed my hands.

"Yes Miss, breakfast is ready." Chi explained.

"Yes Miss, Master is expecting you." Ten added. They then led me back through the tunnels of the cave and into the main cove that I had entered before when I first came to the cave. Mugen was already sitting at a flat rock that served as a table. There was another plate set out with what looked like meat on it.

"Ah, ye look beautiful with tha' kimono on. It suits ye." He said as he looked up to see me enter the cove.

"Um, thank you."

"Ye breakfast is ready. Help yeself." He said motioning to the plate with meat on it. I walked over to the table and sat on my knees. The plate definitely had meat on it, and it was raw. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. I hadn't eaten in three days and I was starving. I prodded the meat not exactly sure if I should eat it.

"_What are you waiting for? Eat the meat_!" Nekuro demanded.

"But it's raw." I whispered back. Mugen chuckled. Apparently he had heard me.

"Ye haven't been a wolf-demon long have ye Missy Mayu?" Mugen asked cocking an eyebrow. I looked at him shocked. How did he know?

"_He's joking you idiot. He's basically saying you act like a cub instead of a full grown wolf-demon_." Nekuro told me. I blushed at my own stupidity that time and decided to play along.

"No, I haven't." I replied shyly.

Mugen laughed. "Wolf-demons are closer to wolves than they appear. They can eat raw meat an' it won' affect 'em any. So eat, ye look famished." He explained taking another sip from his cup. I swallowed hard and reached down for the meat. I pulled off a piece and put it in my mouth. My mouth was suddenly full of the delicious flavour. It was incredible.

"_Yes, the meat tastes good, big shocker, now eat already_!" Nekuro demanded. He sounded about as hungry as I felt. I pulled off another piece of meat and continued to eat.

"_What the hell are you doing? Shove the whole thing in your mouth, I'm starving_!" I ignored him and continued to eat in the same manner.

"_I said shove it in your mouth_!" Nekuro yelled slamming himself against the inside of my mind.

"Ouch!" I said grabbing my head in pain.

"Something wrong?" Mugen asked.

"Nekuro isn't happy that I'm not eating the meat as quickly and as brutally as he would. When he gets angry he gives me headaches." I explained.

Mugen laughed. "Tha' sounds like somethin' Nekuro would do. He has a nasty temper he does."

"Tell me something I don't know." I said smiling and continued to eat.

"_I hate you_." Nekuro growled.

"You can leave any time you want Nekuro." I reminded him.

"_Not until I take over your body_."

"Not going to happen." I came out of my argument with Nekuro as I heard Mugen start to laugh again.

"From the sounds of it, ye and Nekuro are havin' yeselves a lover's spat." He said smiling. My face fell in disgust and I could feel Nekuro make the same face.

"I would never love him!"

"_I would never love her_!" We both yelled at the same time, even though Mugen could only hear me.

"Is tha' so? Alrigh' this ol' demon will stay out o' the things tha' don' concern him." Mugen said putting his hands up defensively.

"It's fine." I replied finishing the rest of my breakfast.

"Well, if ye will excuse me I have ye armour to work on." Mugen said excusing himself from the table.

"Oh, ok, thank you for breakfast."

"Ye is very welcome. I suppose havin' ye around should lighten the mood around here. Plus ye can teach Nekuro some manners." Mugen teased and then walked down one of the tunnels.

"_I don't need manners you bastard_!" Nekuro yelled.

"He can't hear you." I reminded him.

"_Shut up you idiot_."

"I think Mugen is right, you do need some manners."

"_Go to hell_." I laughed and turned to see Chi and Ten coming over to me, standing by either side of my thighs.

"What would the Miss like to do today?" Chi asked.

"Yes, what would Miss like to do?" Ten also asked.

"Um, I have no idea, what is there to do?" I asked in return.

"Ten and Chi usually help Master Mugen make the new orders for the village, but Master Mugen has asked us to care for the Miss, so care for the Miss is what we will do." Chi explained.

"Oh, that's sweet of you." I said smiling.

"_What orders are they talking about? I thought I was the only one that old bastard ever worked for_." Nekuro said.

"Who are the orders that you help Mugen with for?" I asked Nekuro.

"They're for the merchants in the villages around here Miss." Ten explained.

"After Master Nekuro disappeared business was very slow. Master Mugen needed to find some way to continue being a blacksmith." Chi continued.

"So Master Mugen took us in as his apprentices and we take orders and sell his wares to the villages." Ten finished.

"So that's why you work with Mugen." I said.

"Yes Miss. Master Mugen found us half-dead in the wasteland and saved us." Chi explained.

"Yes, so we decided to become his apprentices to pay him back for rescuing us." Ten continued. I looked down at the two little demons and smiled. They were so sweet.

"Oh, how exactly do you sell Mugen's wares? I don't mean any insult but you're both, very small." I said.

"Oh that's easy Miss." Ten started.

"We just use our demon magic and we can transform ourselves into our human forms." Chi explained. My face lit up. This world really was amazing.

"Chi, Ten, get yeselves in here I need ye help for a moment!" We all looked up as we heard Mugen calling to Chi and Ten from down the tunnel.

"Oh Master Mugen is calling us Miss." Chi said turning back around.

"Yes Miss we must excuse ourselves." Ten agreed. They both bowed and then ran off into the tunnels.

"So, now what am I supposed to do?" I asked out loud.

"_How the hell am I supposed to know_?" Nekuro said angrily as usual.

"It was a rhetorical question, Nekuro." I spat back. I sighed and walked around the cove. I finally decided it would be fun to explore the caves. Considering I would be here for the next few days it would be a good idea to at least learn my way around. Chi and Ten would be busy helping Mugen and Mugen was busy enough as is, so I figured I might as well help myself.

"_I wouldn't if I were you, you're just going to get yourself lost_." Nekuro warned.

"Suddenly worried about my safety? I'm touched." I replied sarcastically.

"_I'm not worried about your safety, I'm worried about mine. If your body dies then there's no point in trying to possess it for my own. I can only fully possess a body that still has a conscious mind, and one that won't attack me every time I try_." Nekuro growled.

"Wait, you tried to possess me again?" I asked.

"_Of course I did. While you were asleep I figured you were more vulnerable, but every time I tried you somehow managed to push me back. No matter what I do you always find a way to piss me off in the end_." Nekuro sighed.

"Nekuro! How could you do that? That's low, even for you!" I yelled angrily.

"_Tch, please, I want a new body, you have the body I want. I'm not gonna stop until it's mine so you're just going to have to live with it sweetheart_."

"Ugh, you're repulsive." I groaned.

"_Get used to it_." I glared at the air and paced around the cove. Suddenly a new question crossed my mind.

"Hey Nekuro, if you do possess me fully, won't you still have my body looking the way it does now? Won't it just be your mind in control?" I asked.

"_No, don't be stupid, if it was like that you really think I would take a woman's body? If I can possess you fully then my traits will completely take over. Meaning that your body will change into what my body used to look like_." Nekuro explained.

"Wait, so if you possess me fully, I'll become a man?" I asked completely disgusted.

"_If I possess you fully you won't exist anymore so I'll be a man again, not you, idiot_."

"Well it's not going to happen!" I yelled. Nekuro didn't respond but I could feel him rolling his eyes. I sighed and decided I needed to find something to do or I was going to go insane. I headed towards the entrance to the series of tunnels in the cave and looked down each of them. I could only see as far as the torches on the entry ways would allow. The rest of the tunnels were pitch black. I looked to the far right. That tunnel I knew led to my room, the tunnel to the far left led towards Mugen's workshop, and the tunnel next to that led to the room with all the wolf pelts in it. I turned to the tunnel in the center and started walking.

"_What the hell are you doing_?" Nekuro demanded.

"I'm exploring the tunnels." I replied.

"_You're going to get lost_." Nekuro said.

"No I'm not."

"_How do you figure that_?"

"Like this." I lifted my finger and scratched a line into the rock. I started walking down the tunnel, dragging my finger along the wall leaving a long scratch mark in the rock. I cringed as it made a loud screeching sound every now and then, but it was a system that was working for me. I continued down the tunnel making sure to stay on the same path I was heading.

"I wonder where this tunnel goes..." I whispered mostly to myself.

"_Who cares? Go back already_." Nekuro demanded.

"I wasn't talking to you Nekuro." I growled back. Nekuro didn't reply. I continued down the tunnel. It was getting deeper and darker. If I was still human there was no way I would have still been able to see as well as I could. Being a wolf-demon was proving to be more beneficial as I learned more about what I could do. I smiled and looked down the tunnel. Suddenly I could see a light further ahead.

"Hey, there's a light down there." I said out loud.

"_And let me guess, you're going to go find out what it is_?" Nekuro asked. He sounded bored.

"Of course I am." I replied and went down the tunnel. I reached the area where the light was coming from and found it emitting from a small hole in the wall. I got on my hands and knees and looked through. There was another small tunnel that led to where the light was coming from. I smiled and started crawling through the tunnel.

"_Are you crazy? What if you get stuck_?" Nekuro demanded.

"I couldn't get stuck if I tried, the tunnel is too wide. Are you claustrophobic or something Nekuro? You sound genuinely worried."

"_Don't be stupid, I'm not afraid of anything_." Nekuro replied angrily.

"Fine, whatever." I said and continued down the small tunnel. It got a little tighter as I reached the end, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Finally I reached the end and pulled myself through. I looked up and my face lit up.

"It's beautiful." I breathed. On the ceiling and around the cove I had found were hundreds if not thousands of twinkling lights. I wasn't sure what they were, but they were amazing.

"_What the hell is all this_?" Nekuro asked suddenly interested.

"I have no idea." I replied and walked over to the wall. I stood in front of one of the twinkling lights and looked at it. I lifted my finger up and lightly touched it. It was soft but slimy.

"What the..." I wondered out loud.

"It's a silk worm." I jumped and turned to see Mugen standing in the cove.

"Mugen, you scared me."

"I beg ye forgiveness, I didn' mean to scare ye. I was jus' as surprised to see ye in this cove as ye is to see me." Mugen chuckled. I looked at him and kept wondering how in the world he could fit in here, but I thought it rude to ask so I didn't bother.

"So it's a silk worm?" I asked.

"Yes, I use 'em to make the clothes I need. Ye kimono and the vests Ten and Chi wear were both made with the silk from them worms." Mugen explained. I stroked the material of my kimono lightly.

"That's amazing, you really are incredible Mugen." I said smiling.

"Thank ye. Like I said, this cave has everythin' I need. Tha's why I call it home." He said and smiled. I smiled back.

"_Can we leave, please, I think I'm going to be sick_." Nekuro suddenly said.

"Something wrong Nekuro?" I asked.

"Ah, yes, I suppose it don' bother you, but Nekuro is afraid of them worms, and not jus' the worms, he's afraid of all matter of insects." Mugen explained with a glint in his eye.

"_Shut the hell up Mugen you bastard_!" Nekuro yelled, obviously embarrassed.

I laughed. "Nekuro's not happy you told me that."

"Of course he isn'. Insects were always his weakness, you should have seen him the firs' time I brought him here. Went pale as a ghost he did, mind ye the pun." Mugen explained chuckling.

"Really? So if I touch this silk worm again..." I said and lifted my finger towards the worm.

"_Don't even think about it_." Nekuro growled darkly.

I laughed. "Well I think I'm going to have some fun now. Thank you for the tip Mugen."

"Ye is very welcome." Mugen replied and winked.

"Master Mugen, Master Mugen, the chest plate is cool now." I turned as Chi and Ten ran into the cove. They were shocked to see me standing there.

"Well I suppose I should be headin' back to work then. Ye can stay here long as ye like, jus' make sure ye can find ye way back. If I don' hear from ye by dinner I'll send Chi and Ten to find ye." Mugen said. He saluted me and left, Chi and Ten following behind. I walked over to the wall and sat down.

"_Why are you sitting down? Leave already_!" Nekuro demanded.

"No, I want to sit for a little bit. I need to think and this place is quiet, cool, and dark. It's perfect." I replied and pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them.

"_What the hell do you need to think about? You've been thinking since I tried to possess you_." Nekuro said angrily.

"Nekuro, please, just shut up for a little while ok." I replied calmly. Nekuro stopped and sighed. I felt him cross his arms. He remained silent and I smiled in thanks. I sighed and began rolling things around in my mind. Everything that had happened to me, from start to finish began playing out in my mind. It was so much in such a short amount of time, now was the first time I actually had a chance to think it over and understand it. As I went through everything my heart sank and tears welled up in my eyes.

I was so far away from home, not that my home even existed anymore, and my family... The tears fell down my face now and I just began to sob. All the emotions that had been locked away now poured over me as every piece of this morbid puzzle came together. The solitude was a nice relief as the sobs echoed through the cove. No one was asking me if I was ok, or if I needed help, because no, I wasn't ok but I didn't need help either. I just needed to be left alone to cry my heart out.

After crying for what felt like hours I began to calm down. I wiped some of the stray tears off my face. I sighed and stretched. My back and bottom were hurting from the uneven rocks along the floor and wall of the cove.

"_You done_?" Nekuro asked. His voice seemed louder than usual after being so quiet for so long.

"Yeah, I am. Nekuro?"

"_What_?"

"Thank you, really, for just leaving me alone. It was really sweet, even for you." I said giving him a small smile.

"_Well, sure, you're welcome, I guess_." Nekuro replied.

I giggled. "Did I embarrass you?" I asked.

"_No, don't be stupid_." He replied. I smirked. Yeah, I had definitely embarrassed him. I could almost imagine the red blush shadowing his cheeks. I put my hands on the ground and lifted myself from the floor.

"I guess we better get out of here. I don't know how long I was crying for, Mugen might be worried."

"_Finally_." I rolled my eyes at Nekuro. He was only happy to get away from the silk worms. I got back on the ground and crawled through the little tunnel. I came out at the other end and looked for the spot on the wall where I had indented it with my nail. I found it eventually and began to follow it back the way I came. Soon I recognized where I was and then the light from the torches at the main entrance could be seen. Finally I came back out into the main entrance way. Mugen was already there tending to the fire on the hearth. He looked up as I entered.

"Ah there ye are. I was jus' abou' to send Chi and Ten after ye." He explained.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I had been gone so long." I replied.

"No need for ye to be sorry. Did ye enjoy ye explorin' around the cave?" Mugen asked.

"Well I ended up staying in the cove with all the silk worms in it." I replied.

"Is tha' so? I didn' think ye would be so interested in 'em."

"Oh no, it was just a nice place to think."

"Oh thinkin' were ye? Tha's good, thinkin' is good. It keeps the mind sharp." Mugen said tapping his head with his finger. I smiled and sat down at the flat rock.

"Ye dinner be ready soon. This time I cooked the meat for ye." Mugen explained pushing a chunk of meat around on a thin rock that hung over the fire.

"Oh, thank you very much." I said.

"Ye welcome, ah here ye go, all done." Mugen said taking the stone off the fire and placing it in front of me. I stared at the sizzling meat and my mouth watered. It looked delicious.

"Thank you." I said reaching out to eat the meat. I touched it and cringed, pulling my hand back. I put my finger in my mouth.

Mugen laughed. "Be careful now, it's still hot."

"_You're a walking disaster_." Nekuro sighed angrily. I sent him an inward glare and bent over the meat. I softly blew on it, trying to cool it down. I waited a few moments while Mugen lit his pipe and Ten and Chi came bustling in, ready for their own dinner. We all sat together and it was nice to have the company.

"Ye armour is almost done. Two more days an' it'll be ready for ye." Mugen commented while I slowly picked through my meat, afraid of being burned again.

"That's good, you really are a master blacksmith Mugen." I said smiling.

"Bein' a demon helps. I can do more, faster than any human can." He said smirking. I smiled and continued to eat my meat, Nekuro still demanding that I eat faster.

"How is Nekuro doin'?" Mugen asked.

"He's fine, driving me insane as usual, but it's nice to have the company every now and then."

"Yes, company is nice. It's good to see Nekuro finally found someone to keep him company. I thought tha' boy would be alone forever." Mugen said blowing smoke rings into the air.

"Alone?" I asked.

"Ah, yes, Nekuro's been alone since the day I met him. He was jus' a wee lad when I firs' met him. Never had any friends tha' he ever spoke abou'. Wasn' till he was older did he start talkin' about his nights spent with all different matter of company. Mostly women and shadow folk. Sounded like ye couldn' trust 'em as far as ye could throw 'em, but tha' was jus' the company he kept, and far be it from me to mess in affairs tha' don' concern me." Mugen explained.

"That's, really sad." I replied my face falling.

"_Don't you dare start pitying me. I don't need pity from an idiot like you. I don't need pity from anyone_." Nekuro growled.

"Alright forget I said anything Nekuro." I sighed. I finished my meat and thanked Mugen for it.

"Ye is welcome. Will ye be explorin' the cave some more or...?" Mugen asked.

"No, I think I've had enough exploring for now. I'm just going to go to my room." I replied and excused myself from the table. I made my way to my room on my own and sat down on the straw bed.

"_You're not going to start crying again are you_?" Nekuro asked.

"No I'm not. Even if I wanted to I don't think I could cry anymore. I think I'm just going to sleep." I replied picking up my wolf pelt and pulling it over me.

"_Whatever_."

"Good night to you too." I replied to Nekuro sarcastically and once again fell into a deep sleep.

The next few days went by faster than I expected. I spent most of my time exploring the tunnels in the cave and when I got tired of being in the dark I would head back up to the wasteland for some fresh air. I took the liberty of finding a lake a few miles away to have a bath at one point, much to Nekuro's disgust, and then explored the neighbouring forests. I started using my other senses besides sight to find out where to go and I was learning just how much power I had in me.

Finally on the third day when I was playing with Chi and Ten Mugen came in to tell me that my armour and katana were ready. I grabbed my pelt and followed him back into the main cove. The armour, at the moment, was covered by a white cloth.

"Firs' things firs', you need to wrap these here bandages around ye chest." Mugen explained handing me a roll of white bandage cloth.

"Oh, ok." I replied.

"While ye do that I'll take ye pelt and fix it up for ye." Mugen replied taking the pelt and turning around. I undid the top of the kimono and attempted to wrap the bandages around my chest without having to look down. It wasn't as easy I thought it would be, but I eventually had the bandages wrapped comfortably around my chest. I looked at my handiwork figuring the bandages sort of acted like a makeshift bra.

"The bandages are wrapped." I told Mugen.

"Chi, Ten, check it for her would ye? Then start wrapping her shins." Mugen ordered. Chi and Ten jumped on my shoulders and checked the bandages.

"These bandages are secure. Miss please sit down." Chi asked.

"Ok." I replied sitting.

"Stretch out your legs please Miss." Ten asked. I did as I was told. Chi and Ten started on my left leg. They lifted it so it was slightly bent and began to wrap bandages around my shins just below the knee. When they got down to my ankle they asked me to raise my foot. When I did they wrapped the rest of the bandages around the arch of my foot, leaving my ankle and the ball of my foot bare. They then repeated the same thing on my other leg.

"Now Miss wrap the rest of these bandages around your thighs and hips." Chi said handing me the remaining bandages.

"Ok." I replied. Doing this was even more uncomfortable than trying to wrap my chest but I managed to get it done.

"All wrapped?" Mugen asked.

"Yes I got it." I replied.

"Good then ye can take off tha' kimono and Chi, Ten, and I can fit ye into ye armour." Mugen explained.

"Um, ok." I said feeling nervous. I slid off the kimono and waited. I felt uncomfortable standing there in just bandages but it had to be done.

"We'll start with the shin guards and work our way up." Mugen explained. He handed one shin guard to Chi and Ten and he took the other. The shin guard consisted of a black metal plate that would cover my shin with one black metal piece that would cover the top of my foot and another piece that covered my knees. Mugen, Chi, and Ten fit the shin guards in place and then attached them to my legs. They were surprisingly comfortable.

"Alrigh', now the plate tha'll cover ye torso." Mugen said. He picked up the biggest piece of armour and fit it to my torso. The plate that covered my lower torso was black but the chest plate was crimson red. After they fit that plate onto my torso Mugen added small, round shoulder plates that were black and protected my shoulders.

"Alrigh' ye is fitted into ye armour."

"That's it? Really?" I asked. I was expecting a little more armour to protect me.

"Tha's all ye need. Ye is tougher than a human and ye need to be fast an' agile. To weigh

ye down with armour would have ye worse off." Mugen explained.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." I replied.

"Now for ye pelt." Mugen explained. He took the main part of the pelt and wrapped it

around my waist. He slit a hole in the back of the pelt and I pulled my tail through it. The pelt and tail were the same colour which was a relief. Mugen then tied it to make sure it wouldn't fall off while I was running. He then brought over two small pieces of the pelt that had been cut out. He tied them around my wrists and attached them with small pieces of rope.

"Ye should sit down for now, it'll be more comfortable for ye." Mugen said. I sat down and Mugen grabbed two more pieces of the pelt. He fit them around my shins. They covered the shin guard almost completely. All that wasn't covered was the tip of the knee guard and the tip of the foot guard. He then grabbed a needle and some thin material and started sewing the fur so that it wouldn't fall off.

"How do ye like ye armour?" He asked.

"It's really comfortable, and so light, it hardly feels like it's there at all." I replied.

"Good, good. No human can make armour like I do. Ye'll never find quality as good as wha' I got here." Mugen explained. I smiled and watched as Mugen continued to sew up the fur. I turned my head and my hair fell over my shoulder. I looked at it and a thought occurred to me. This much hair could be a problem. It could easily get in the way or get caught. Or if I got into another fight someone could pull it. I needed to do something about it.

"_Cut it off then_." Nekuro said. I shook my head, I couldn't just cut it off. It had been this long since I was little. I remember having tantrums every time I was told I had to get it cut, even if it was just a trim. I just couldn't bring myself to hack away at it. I looked around the cove and could see two round pieces of metal and more white cloth lying on the floor. An idea came to me and I smiled.

"Um Mugen, can I use that cloth and those metal rings?" I asked pointing to them.

"Wha'? Those? Yeah if ye want 'em. They're jus' extra scrap I don' need. Wha' ye gonna use 'em for?" He asked.

"You'll see." I said smiling. I grabbed the metal rings that were about an inch or so wide and half an inch thick and the white cloth. I tied the white cloth at the base of my skull and then forced both the white cloth and my hair through the first metal ring. When the metal ring was pulled to the base of my skull and in place I shook my hair a little to see if it would fall out. It seemed secure and I smiled. I then grabbed the cloth and began to tightly wrap my hair.

"Ah, tha's a good idea ye got there." Mugen commented as I wrapped my hair.

"Thank you. I have a feeling this hair could get in the way so tying it up is a better idea than just cutting it all off." I replied.

"Ye is right. Nekuro had long hair, he did. Not quite as long as ye has, but it was long. He jus' wore it tied back. Looked like a woman from behind he did." Mugen said smiling.

"_Kill him before we leave_." Nekuro growled angrily. I laughed.

"Nekuro's not impressed is he?" Mugen asked chuckling.

"No, he wants me to kill you." I replied.

"Ah, tha' bastard's tried more times than ye know. Besides if ye kills me, who can make ye armour?" Mugen asked raising an eyebrow.

"You have a good point. I wasn't planning on it anyway. I don't kill those who don't deserve it." I said.

"Ah, we shall see how long tha' type of talk lasts ye in this land. The demon race is dyin' out, we is. Most of us may be immortal but tha' doesn' mean we can't die from a weapon, and these humans are gettin' smarter as time passes. Soon we'll all be wiped out, tha' much I can guarantee." Mugen said sighing. He pulled the rope through the last hole in the top of the fur on my shin and bit it off. He then grabbed the two remaining rope strands and tied them tightly together. I lifted my leg to see what he had done.

"Mugen this is amazing." I said smiling. He had sewed the rope and another strand of rope through the fur intertwining them. It looked almost like a shoelace.

"Thank ye, tha' should keep it tight, tha' should." He said and then started on the other leg. I continued to wrap my hair, I was already a quarter of the way done. I was pretty impressed with how it was looking so far. I wondered how long it had been since we started putting my armour on. An hour? Maybe two? It was hard to tell time from in the cave. Either way, Mugen and I continued to work while Chi, Ten and even Nekuro sat quietly waiting for us to finish.

Finally my hair was almost completely wrapped and Mugen had finished tying up the fur on my shins. I reached the end of my hair and tied the cloth, leaving about an inch of hair still sticking out of the bottom of the cloth. I grabbed the other metal ring and pulled it up so it covered where I had tied the cloth and secured it in place. I stood and looked at my hair. It was like a long white line now, but it would at least be out of the way and wouldn't get caught as easily.

"Well I'll be, ye look like a genuine wolf-demon now, ye does." Mugen said sitting up. He had gotten out his pipe earlier and was puffing away while I finished my hair.

"Thank you, I feel more like a wolf-demon now." I replied smiling. This joke had been going on between Mugen and I for the last few days. I had finally graduated from being a cub to being full grown wolf.

"Oh, one more thing. Chi, Ten, fetch me the katana." Mugen ordered. Chi and Ten jumped up from the floor. They had been sitting so quietly for the last while and they looked so excited to finally be able to do something.

"Yes Master Mugen!" They called at the same time. They ran through the tunnels and returned with a long package wrapped in more white cloth. They passed it up to me and I took it. I unwrapped it and looked at the long black sheath.

"It's beautiful." I replied in awe.

Mugen laughed. "Ye haven' even looked at the blade yet." I blushed slightly. I looked at the hilt. It was silver steel and wrapped with red and black cloth. I grabbed hold of it and pulled. The blade slid out easily and the steel shone in the firelight. My eyes lit up as I looked at it. It was beautifully made and so light. The blade was sharp and I had never seen anything so skilfully made in my life.

"Ye looked impressed." Mugen said.

"I am impressed. This blade is incredible." I replied.

"Ye is more grateful than Nekuro was. I'm happy ye like it. No two blades I make are the same, so ye should treasure tha', ye should. Never find another one like it." Mugen explained. I looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you so much." A small blush crossed Mugen's face and he scratched the side of his head.

"Ye, uh, welcome." He replied letting out a small cough and straightening himself up.

"_You're such a spoiled brat. He never made anything that nice for me_." Nekuro said angrily.

"Jealous Nekuro?" I asked.

"_Shut up_." He replied and fell silent.

"Is he complainin' again?" Mugen asked.

"Yes, he is." I replied and we both laughed. I looked around the cave and sighed. As dingy and dim as it was, this cave had become so homely to me. I didn't want to leave, but I had to get going. I wasn't sure where or why, I just needed to go. I stood and attached my katana to my hip by sliding it through an opening in my fur skirt. I turned to Mugen and bowed.

"Thank you for all your hard work, but I have to get going." I said looking back up at him.

"Already? Well not tha' it matters to me, but Chi and Ten will be sorry to see ye go so soon." Mugen said. I smiled knowing he was going to miss me just as much, he was just too proud to admit it.

"Yes, I really appreciate all you've done, but I need to get going." I repeated.

"Well alrigh' then. This ol' man knows tha' when a lady needs to go, let her go. You take care of Nekuro now. And Nekuro you better take care of this little lady. She's a special one, she is." Mugen said smiling.

"_Whatever you old man_." Nekuro scoffed.

"He'll try to." I replied for Nekuro.

"_I'll do it if I can have your body_." Nekuro said. I ignored him and turned to see Chi and Ten with large puppy eyes filling with tears.

"Does the Miss need to leave now?" Chi asked.

"Yes, can't the Miss stay one more night?" Ten also asked.

"I'm sorry, I have to get going. I'll miss you guys so much." I said. I bent down and they ran over to me crying into my knees. I put my hands on their backs, trying to comfort them.

"Alrigh', alrigh' you too the little lady's got to be on her way, stop messin' abou'. We still got work to do." Mugen said. Chi and Ten reluctantly stepped away and headed over to Mugen. I stood back up and headed for the main tunnel leading out of the cave.

"Bye everyone, I'll be back sometime soon." I said waving.

"Try to visit as often as ye can. Gotta make sure tha' armour still fits ye and such. Ye is welcome back any time." Mugen said resting his hands in his kimono.

"Bye Miss, Chi will miss you!"

"Ten will miss the Miss too!" Chi and Ten called.

"Bye, I'll see you around." I called again and headed back up the tunnel.

"_Jeez I thought you'd never leave_." Nekuro sighed.

"Hey it was a sad farewell. I considered staying there to be honest. I could help Mugen with his work and help Chi and Ten deliver orders."

"_You're crazy. I would have gone insane if you made us stay there_." Nekuro growled.

"Whatever." I replied rolling my eyes. I reached the mouth of the cave and stepped out into the wasteland. The sun was just reaching the highest point in the sky so I had a long time to explore before the sun went down. I looked towards the horizon and smiled. It was finally time for my Feudal adventure to begin.


	5. Chapter 4: Saviour

**Chapter Four**

**Saviour**

"_Where the hell are you going_?" Nekuro asked angrily. I had been running around a wide open field for a few hours trying to decide what to do next.

"I have no idea." I replied honestly. I didn't know anything about the Feudal Era besides what I had seen already and some loose ideas thanks to Nekuro. How was I supposed to know what to do from just that? I needed to find some kind of purpose; something to keep myself busy.

"Maybe I could get a job." I whispered to myself.

"_Doing what? You're a demon remember, no human is going to hire you and the chances of finding a demon even slightly interested in you is low, very low_."

"Wow, both informative and insulting, I'm impressed." I replied sarcastically. I looked around the field as a cool breeze blew past. I tensed as I picked up a scent.

"What is that?" I asked out loud. I sniffed the air. That smell was so familiar. I tensed again as I finally realized what it was. I found the trace of the scent and ran at full speed towards it.

"_What the hell are you doing_?" Nekuro yelled.

"I smell blood, human blood, and something foul. I think it might be a demon." I replied.

"_Who cares? It's just a couple of dirty humans, let the demon devour them. It's no concern of yours_."

"I care and it is a concern of mine. I can't just sit by and let them be slaughtered mercilessly when I know there's something I can do about it. I won't sit by and watch innocent people be killed for sport." I burst into a forest and continued to run until I came through the trees to find a village. Some of the houses were on fire or already completely destroyed. In the center of the village the demon I smelled was visible. It was huge and looked like a centipede. I could already feel the shivers of disgust coming from Nekuro.

"_I told you to ignore it_!" He yelled.

"Shut up Nekuro, you're just upset because you're afraid of bugs. It doesn't look so tough. I can take it down, right?" I asked.

"_You're not even sure if you can take down the demon, what's the point in fighting it_?" Nekuro asked in return.

"Ugh, you're no help. Oh well, only one way to find out what my limits are." I said and headed into the village at full speed. I passed people running for their lives from the center of the village. Many of them stopped and screamed as I came by but I ignored them. As I got closer to the demon the extent of the damage that it had caused became clear. There were dead bodies strewn about and many of the homes were destroyed. I finally reached where the demon was and jumped onto one of its long legs. I then continued running up its back until I reached its head. I ran forward and flipped, turning so I was facing it. I reached my hand out and swung it down so my claws cut into the centipede's head. As I fell I brought my hand down with me, slicing the centipede's body. Green blood spurted from the cuts raining down on the village below.

When I landed there was a loud screech from the centipede. It cringed in pain and then fell to the ground with a thunderous _thud_. I walked over to the head and cut it off with my claws. I had never realized how useful they were. I turned around to see a group of terrified villagers staring at me. Behind them was a water pump. I walked over to it and as I got closer the villagers tensed.

"S-stay away! I-I'll kill you, you filthy demon!" One of the men in the middle ordered pointing his spear at my face.

"Um, I don't think that's necessary, I just need to wash my hands, so if you could please move aside for a moment." I replied pointing to the water pump. They all turned to look at it and then turned back to me.

"A l-likely story. Y-you'll take our water and then cut our throats in our sleep!" The man yelled.

"Why would I waste my time doing that? Now if you could just move aside..." I trailed off as the man thrust his spear at me. I moved my head to the side seeing it coming but the spearhead still cut my face. I sighed.

"_Filthy humans, just kill them already_." Nekuro growled.

"_They're just scared, their village was just destroyed_." I thought to him. No need to scare them anymore than they already were by talking to myself. I took another step forwards and picked the man up. He let out a small yell of fear. I put him off to the side and did the same thing with the rest of the villagers. I finally reached the water pump and pumped out the water I needed. I washed the green blood off my hands and then turned back to the villagers.

"That centipede demon is pretty big. Want me to help you move it out of the village?" I asked.

"No! We don't need any help from a demon!" The man yelled.

"Ok, suit yourself." I replied shrugging and turned to leave.

"Wait a moment." I turned back around to see an old man walking up to me.

"Master Ruo, she's a demon, we can't trust her." The man from before said softly to the old man. He was bent over and walked with a stick. His face was covered with wrinkles and he had hardly any white hair left.

"What matter of demon are you, to offer help to humans." Master Ruo asked completely ignoring the man's warning.

"I'm just a wolf-demon with nothing better to do. I don't kill for pleasure so you can sleep soundly tonight. If you don't need my help then I'll be leaving now anyway." I explained.

"Tell me men, how long would it take us to remove this centipede demon from the village?" Master Ruo asked turning to the rest of the village. Many of the other villagers were slowly creeping back into the center, asking why a demon was still in the village.

"It would take us quite a few weeks." They replied.

"And how long would it take us to rebuild the village?" Master Ruo asked.

"Another month, maybe more." They replied.

"How long would it take with the help of a demon?"

"Master Ruo, you're not honestly thinking of accepting that demon's help are you?" The villager's demanded.

"Of course I am. I sense no evil presence around her, and she has offered to help, so why not accept?" Master Ruo asked.

"But, Master Ruo, what if it's a trick, she could kill us all." The villagers protested.

"If she wanted to kill us she would have done it already. Especially after that attempt to kill her Takashi." Master Ruo retorted looking at the man who had tried to stab me with his spear. Takashi looked down in shame and embarrassment. Master Ruo then turned and looked back at me, his dark eyes trailing over my face.

"So how about it demon, will you help us remove this demon from our village? You may leave after that of course, and if you wish you can eat at my home and stay for the night. Consider it payment for your services." Master Ruo said.

"I'll help you. A good meal and warm bed sounds like an excellent payment." I replied.

"Very good, we shall thank you for your services..." Master Ruo trailed off.

"My name is Mayu. I look forward to working with you." I said.

"Good, good. Takashi and half of the men left will help you remove the carcass then. As for the rest of us we shall start rebuilding the houses with the least amount of damage. At sundown we'll bury the dead and pray for them." Master Ruo explained. I nodded and walked over to Takashi and half the men he chose to help him. They all looked at me with dark expressions on their faces. None of them trusted me in the slightest, but what did I care?

"So, what do I need to do?" I asked. Takashi glared at me and then sighed. Ignoring me would do no good, seen as he was given a direct order from Master Ruo, and Master Ruo appeared to be the head of this village.

"Cut the demon into chunks that we can carry up that path and dispose of near the shrine at the end of it." Takashi explained pointing to a path that led up a small hill and into the forest.

"Sounds easy enough." I replied and walked over to the centipede.

"_This is insulting. Helping humans, it's disgraceful_." Nekuro scoffed.

"Oh stop complaining. At least I have something to do now." I replied as I started cutting the centipede demon into pieces large enough to get the job done sooner, but light enough for the men to carry.

"_It would be better if you just killed the humans and left_." Nekuro said.

"I already told them I wouldn't and I don't see what you're so upset about. We're getting a warm meal and a bed to sleep in for tonight." I reminded him.

"_They say that, and then you're going to wake up with spears in your belly and your head on a pedestal_." Nekuro retorted.

"I'll be able to hear them coming even if I'm asleep. That's what I have you for remember?" I asked. I could feel Nekuro glaring at me. As much as he wanted to disagree he knew it was true. If he wanted my body he was going to have to keep it safe.

Finally I finished cutting the centipede up. Takashi and his men were already taking the pieces of centipede up the path. I grabbed two large pieces myself and started up the path. None of the men looked at me or even paid attention to me. They preferred to talk about me behind my back, without realizing I could hear everything they were saying. I sighed and continued hauling pieces of centipede carcass up the path with Nekuro complaining about it the entire way. Now he wasn't so angry about the humans, he was more disgusted at the feel of centipede carcass under my arms. I continued to help the men bury the centipede in the purified grounds of the shrine and we completed the task just before sundown.

We headed back down to the village to find most of the village burying the bodies of the villagers killed by the demon. I offered to help but many of the villagers protested and I decided it would be safer to wait and pray for the dead souls.

"_Praying for dirty humans, something is wrong with you_." Nekuro commented.

"Shut up Nekuro, need I remind you I was one of those 'dirty humans' once too." I told him.

"_Ugh, don't remind me_." He groaned. I rolled my eyes and finished my prayers. I looked up as Master Ruo walked over.

"I assume the carcass of that demon is buried at the shrine?" He asked.

"It is. The men weren't too keen on having me walk around on the land of their precious shrine, but they got over it eventually." I replied.

"Ah, good, good. Yes, men are so suspicious of everything these days, and why shouldn't they be? Demons and bandits and all matter of other shadow folk fill these lands. It's a surprise the human race has managed to last so long." Master Ruo sighed.

"_It's because humans are like cockroaches, no matter how many times you try to kill them, they always find a way to survive_." Nekuro stated.

"_Nekuro stop it_." I retorted.

"Quite a surprise to see a demon like you run in to kill another demon so suddenly. I was quite taken aback by your heroics. Most demons would have left a village like this alone without another thought." Master Ruo continued.

"I don't like seeing others kill for sport." I replied.

"Another surprise. You are the strangest wolf-demon I have ever seen. No wolf pack or companion, helping humans, and you don't kill for sport. If only we had more demons like you, the world would be a happier place." Master Ruo chuckled.

"Master Ruo can I speak with you?" We both looked up to see Takashi coming over. He threw me the hundredth glare I had gotten from him that day and then turned back to Master Ruo.

"Alright Takashi, I won't be a moment." Master Ruo said bowing his head. He walked off with Takashi leaving Nekuro and I standing by the makeshift graveyard.

"Wolf...pack? Companion?" I muttered confused. Remembering what Master Ruo and I were just talking about.

"_Every wolf-demon is a member of a pack, I wasn't but that was because I hate being in groups and being ordered around. Also every wolf-demon has at least one wolf companion. Most of the time you meet them as cubs and you grow up together_." Nekuro explained.

"So where's your wolf companion?" I asked. Nekuro went silent again. He always seemed to do that when he didn't want to talk about something.

"_He died...a long time ago_." Nekuro replied.

"I'm sorry." I told him. I had never heard him sound so sad before.

"_Don't be, like I said it happened a long time ago, it doesn't matter_." Nekuro replied. I stayed quiet. It was weird hearing Nekuro actually sound like he cared about something and I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Well it's getting late. Follow me and I'll bring you to my home." Master Ruo suddenly said walking back over to me. I was shocked to hear his voice. I completely forgot where I was. Whenever I talked to Nekuro I seemed to drift into another world.

"Oh, ok." I replied. The old man started to walk back towards the village and I followed behind. I was silent during the walk. Nekuro never said a word. I could only guess that he was upset about the topic we had talked about before. I was surprised to find myself feeling bad for what I had said. I needed to try to be careful with what I talked to Nekuro about. Every time I brought up something about his life as a wolf-demon, or the fact he was a spirit that possessed me, he suddenly turned cold and quiet.

"_I'm fine so stop feeling sorry for yourself, it's annoying_." Nekuro spat.

"_Sorry, I can't help it_." I replied in thought.

"_This is why I hate women, too many emotions_." Nekuro sighed. I smiled. It was good to hear Nekuro back to his old self. I was starting to get used to his rude and demeaning manner and was starting to prefer it over his quiet, cold self.

"Ah, here we are." Master Ruo said stopping in front of one of the larger, undamaged houses. He stepped inside and I followed. He took off his _tabi_, leaving them at the door.

"Come in, come in, I know you wolf-demons don't tend to wear shoes, so don't worry about it, just come in." Master Ruo said chuckling. I did what he said and walked in. His house was amazing. The wooden floors shone in the dying sunlight and everything looked so clean. Master Ruo led me through his home into a long room with a short brown table. Two cushions were set up.

"Grandpa? Grandpa are you home? I was so worried I-" A girl came running into the room. She was very pretty with large brown eyes and black hair tied back in a bun. She was wearing a dark blue kimono with a lavender obi. She stopped talking as soon as she laid her eyes on me. She glared and grabbed Master Ruo, standing in front of him protectively.

"Be gone demon! You're not welcome here." She spat angrily.

"Kairi you can calm down, there's no need to panic." Master Ruo told the girl. She turned on him angrily.

"How can you say that grandpa? There's a demon in our house!" She yelled.

"No need to yell, this girl is Mayu and she is my guest."

"Your guest? Grandfather you have gone senile! She's a demon!"

"She also helped save the village from that centipede demon, and she helped to clean up after. We owe her our lives." Master Ruo explained.

"She...what?" Kairi asked turning to look at me. She looked completely shocked.

"She saved us, so I invited her to spend the night. When will dinner be prepared, oh and don't forget to get a seat for her." Master Ruo said. Kairi looked at me again and I was surprised when she didn't glare again.

"Yes grandfather, dinner will be ready shortly. I'll prepare an extra plate for our guest." Was all she said before leaving the room. She returned quickly and put a new cushion on the ground in front of the table. She bowed and then left again. Master Ruo sat in one cushion and I sat down on the cushion Kairi had just brought out.

"Please excuse my granddaughter, fear of demons runs this village better than the villagers do." Master Ruo sighed.

"I understand. Do you often get attacked by demons?" I asked.

"Not as much as we are now. Demons have becoming more restless as of late. We're unsure as to why this is, but it isn't just our village that's being affected. Villages all over are constantly under attack." Master Ruo explained.

"Is that so..." I replied ideas swirling through my mind.

"_Don't even think about it. One village was enough we don't need to worry about any others. They're worthless humans, don't waste your time_." Nekuro scoffed.

"Something on your mind?" Master Ruo asked looking over at me.

"I'm wondering if perhaps helping other villages could become a habit of mine." I replied smirking. Nekuro groaned angrily.

Master Ruo laughed. "Is that so? You become more and more surprising with each passing minute. A wolf-demon who will willingly search out and aid villagers under attack from other demons. Quite admirable of you."

"I have nothing better to do." I replied shrugging.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to your den where the rest of your pack is?" Master Ruo asked.

"I don't have a den or a wolf pack."

"Ah, a lone wolf eh? You don't see many female wolf-demons alone, especially one of your age. Most of them are married with wolf pups of their own." I stared at Master Ruo and shivered. The only wolf-demon I had met since coming to the Feudal Era was Nekuro, and the thought of marrying and having children with him was disturbing.

"_The feeling's mutual_." Nekuro spat.

"Dinner's ready." Kairi said coming back into the room with three rectangular plates in her hands. She placed one in front of me, one in front of Master Ruo, and then one down for herself. She then got up and poured us all tea in the round, green cups she had brought with her. She then sat down and we each put our hands together, thankful for our food, and began to eat.

"So what are your plans for now?" Master Ruo asked.

"I'll be leaving in the morning." I replied.

"So soon?"

"Yes, I need to go, staying in one place for too long makes me anxious." I replied, which was the truth. Ever since I became a wolf-demon I had the urge to run and never stop. Being in one place for too long made me feel trapped, and I hated it.

"Very well then, I'll be sure to see you off tomorrow morning then." Master Ruo said continuing his meal.

"You don't need to do that." I replied quickly. I didn't care much for fond farewells.

"You saved our village and helped us clean it up, I think the least I can do is see you off in the morning." Master Ruo insisted. I sighed realizing there was no arguing with this man.

"Do as you please." I said nonchalantly. He smiled and continued his meal. We all sat in silence eating our food. Kairi constantly looked over at me, fidgeting uncomfortably. I sneezed at one point during dinner and she almost leaped from her cushion. I had to stifle a giggle that was threatening to escape from my lips. When dinner was finished Kairi cleaned up and brought in sake and small, round sake bowls. She passed one to me and I took it politely. Kairi poured me some sake and then poured some for her grandfather before standing up to leave again.

I stared at the liquid in the small bowl. I had never had sake before. It was alcohol and I wasn't of legal drinking age, in the modern world at least. I didn't even know if they had drinking ages in the Feudal Era.

"Drink, drink. Sake warms the bones after a good meal." Master Ruo said taking a swig of his sake and pouring himself some more.

"_Sake's good. I haven't had any in a long time. Drink some of it_." Nekuro said.

"Ok." I breathed and but the small bowl up to my lips. I lifted the bowl back and the cool liquid hit my mouth. I swallowed and started to cough, choking on the sake. Master Ruo began to laugh as I covered my mouth.

"Did the sake go down the wrong hole?" He asked.

"Yeah, I hate it when that happens." I choked out. I wasn't expecting the sake to be that strong. I wiped my eyes as they started to water. I put the bowl back down so I could catch my breath. I could hear Nekuro laughing in the back of my mind but I ignored him. I looked around realizing it was getting dark in the room. The sun was finally reaching the horizon and heading off to the other side of the world. Master Ruo got up and went over to one of the stands in the room. He picked up a box and opened it, pulling out a large wooden match. He lit it and then went around the room lighting candles in lanterns hanging from the ceiling and in the corners of the rooms. The candles filled the room with a soft light that was very calming.

"Excuse me, Miss Mayu?" I turned to see Kairi standing in front of me.

"Yes, what is it?" I asked.

"If you would like I can prepare a bath for you. The water will be warm and can calm your spirits after the fight with that demon." Kairi explained.

"_Don't even-_"

"That sounds nice. Thank you Kairi." I replied interrupting Nekuro.

"Very well. I shall come get you when the bath is prepared. Excuse me." She said bowing and leaving the room again. I sighed and stretched. My body was starting to ache. A good bath would definitely help.

"Tired Mayu?" Master Ruo asked taking a seat on the cushion across from me.

"Slightly. I'll be fine so don't concern yourself." I replied

"Very well. You don't much care for people looking after you do you?" He asked.

"Not really. I find it difficult to survive in this world by just relying on someone else all the time. The only person you can honestly trust wholeheartedly is yourself."

"Ah wise words. You're quite knowledgeable. You understand the world around you better than most people. Trust is a hard thing to come by these days."

"It is, and that's also why I'm leaving so early tomorrow."

"You don't trust me?" I looked at the old man and shook my head.

"I don't trust you, but I don't trust your villagers even more. I wouldn't be surprised if they broke into your home just to kill me." Master Ruo looked at me for a moment and burst into laughter. I noticed his face was slightly red already. The sake must have been having an effect on him.

"You have that much right. The world is falling apart at the seams and men would rather fight amongst themselves and against demons than come together to defend it. A sad but very real truth I'm afraid." I slowly nodded my head trying to understand more about the world I had been thrown into. All I had managed to learn thus far was that humans hated demons, demons hated humans, and the world was falling apart.

"Yes the world is falling apart. There are rumours spreading about something evil growing far to the north. No one really knows what it is or if the rumours are even true but very few folk have been traveling north since they began." Master Ruo said growing suddenly serious. I stared at him for a moment and then a thought struck me. There was something growing in the north, so north would be the path I would take.

"_I don't think you should go north_." Nekuro suddenly said. The fact he had remained so quiet for so long surprised me.

"_Why not_?" I thought back.

"_Because it's annoying. This self-righteous path you're heading down is troublesome and a complete waste of time. All you're going to do is help more humans and give me a headache_."

"_Are you serious? Stop being so difficult, it's more annoying than anything else. I think going north would be fun, like an adventure. I have nothing better to do_."

"_But they're just rumours! There might not even be anything there_!" Nekuro objected.

"_And at the same time there might be _something_ there_." I retorted.

"_Ugh, do you have any idea how frustrating you are_?"

"_Not as frustrating as you as far as I'm concerned_." I thought glaring.

"Something wrong?" I snapped back as Master Ruo's voice filled my ears.

"Oh, um, nothing, just thinking to myself." I replied.

"Those must have been some rather angry thoughts. You were glaring fiercely. I thought I had done something wrong." He said smirking.

"Oh, no, no it's nothing, really." I assured him.

"Um, excuse me, the bath is ready for you." I turned to see Kairi coming back into the room. I stood up and thanked Master Ruo for the company and sake and then followed Kairi towards the bath house. She had her sleeves tied back with a long, white piece of cloth showing that she had been doing some work around the house. She led me to the bath house and opened the door. I stepped in and she closed the door behind me. The bath house had one bath along the right side and a bench built into the wall on the left. The house was made of wood and not very big. At most maybe three people could have fit if they were small enough.

The tub was filled and the water was steaming. I began to take off the armour and bandages, along with the fur bracelets, shin pads and skirt. After the bandages were taken off I was ready to get in.

"Putting all that back on is going to take awhile." I sighed as I took my hair out of the wrap.

"_You worry about the most insignificant things_." Nekuro replied. I rolled my eyes and got into the water. It was warm and eased my aching muscles.

"Um, excuse me, Miss Mayu?" I turned to the small window at the top of the wall beside the tub. It was Kairi calling me from outside.

"Uh, yes?" I called back.

"Is the water warm enough? Or would you like me to add more wood to the fire?" She asked.

"Wood to the fire?" I muttered to myself.

"_It's how they warm the water for baths in this era. There's a fire built beneath the tub. If the patron using the tub is not warm enough they ask the host to add more wood to make the fire burn longer and higher_." Nekuro explained.

"Oh, yes Kairi, if you wouldn't mind." I called back. I heard the thud of wood being thrown into a fireplace and suddenly the water started warming up. I sighed and relaxed.

"Thank you Kairi that's enough." I called.

"Yes Miss Mayu." She called back. I heard the closing of a door and the sound of feet shuffling through the grass.

"A warm bath is so nice. I thought I was going to have to bathe in cold water for the rest of the time I was here." I said.

"_There are hot springs in the mountains_." Nekuro told me.

"Really? I've always wanted to go into a natural hot spring."

"_It's nothing special, just warm water_."

"You really like to rain on my parade don't you."

"_I relish in it_." Nekuro said and I couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" I asked.

"May I come in for a moment Miss Mayu? I have an extra yukata here for you to wear when you get out of the bath." Kairi's voice sounded on the other side.

"Oh, yes that's fine." I replied. Kairi slid the door open and walked in. She didn't look at me but left my yukata on a small shelf in the bath house, went back to the door, bowed and then left.

"Well that was weird." I said staring at the door.

"_Why do you say that? I wouldn't want to look at your naked body either_." Nekuro said crossing his arms.

"Shut up Nekuro, if I want your opinion I'll ask for it." I replied angrily.

"_Tch, whatever, like I'm gonna let you tell me what to do_." He spat back. I closed my eyes and ignored him. I leaned back and let the warm water wash over me. It felt nice and relaxing. I hadn't felt so serene since I got here. While I soaked in the bath I started mulling things over in my mind again, trying hard to not think about the days I spent in the modern world before coming here. I was missing Mugen, Ten, and Chi. Their company had been so nice and they didn't glare at me every time they saw me.

"_You should have stayed then_." Nekuro said.

"This coming from the person who wanted to leave more than I did." I reminded him.

"_I would have rather stayed at Mugen's place than run around helping humans_."

"Would you shut up about that already? I know you don't like humans but do you have to constantly remind me? You and I are two different people and you're just going to have to get over the fact that I was once and human so I feel inclined to help other humans." I said getting more and more frustrated with Nekuro every second.

"_May I remind you _Mayu_ that I was once alive and not a spirit stuck inside this ridiculous body so I have some issues with you and everything you do_."

"Oh so it's my fault that you tried to posses me but failed completely?"

"_Yes actually, if you hadn't fought back I would have taken over this body, you would have been a distant memory, and I could have gotten on with my life. Now I'm stuck in here and can't do or control anything and it's really annoying_."

"Ugh, this is ridiculous I was trying to enjoy my bath but that isn't going to happen now. I'm getting out." I said my eyebrow twitching in sheer anger. I stepped out of the bath and wrapped the yukata around myself. I picked up my armour, pelt and bandages and angrily stomped back to Master Ruo's house. I stopped as I ran into someone and they fell over. I looked down to see Kairi slowly sitting back up.

"Oh I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention, are you ok?" I asked forgetting my anger.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, please don't concern yourself." Kairi replied. I reached a hand down to her and she looked up at me.

"Want some help getting up?" I asked. Kairi stared at my hand and at the claws on my fingertips. She slowly and hesitantly reached her hand out and put it in mine. I took it and helped pull her back up. She brushed off her yukata when she was standing and looked at me.

"Thank you." She said bowing.

"Oh it's ok. Don't mention it." I replied.

"I assume you're finished with your bath?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, thank you. It was very warm and relaxing, for the most part." I replied directing the last part of my sentence to Nekuro. He crossed his arms and turned his head ignoring me.

"Very well, I have prepared a room for you so if you'll follow me." She said and turned back towards the house. I followed behind her as she led me back into the house and down a few small hallways to a room that was basically empty except for a small table with a vase on it that had a cherry blossom branch in it and a futon set up on the floor.

"I hope you have a good sleep." Kairi said to me as I walked into the room. I turned to face her.

"Thank you." I replied. She bowed and left, closing the sliding door behind her.

"Not a very talkative one is she?" I asked out loud.

"_Who cares_?" Nekuro asked in return. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I set my armour down on the floor beside the futon and got under the covers. They were surprisingly warm and the futon was very comfortable. I had never slept in a futon before.

"_It's just a bed, it's not that exciting_." Nekuro stated. I could feel him move around in my mind, setting up to sleep himself.

"Do you have to make a comment over everything I think about and say?" I asked.

"_Yes, if I didn't I think you would drive me insane_." He replied.

I laughed. "Fair enough." Being in the feudal era for almost a week had given me time to really think about things. What I was doing, where I was going, how I would get there or do this and that, and my life before which still caused me pain to think about.

"Do you think the pain I feel when I think about my old life will ever go away?" I asked out loud.

"_How am I supposed to know_?" Nekuro replied.

"I don't know. I wanted your opinion on the matter. If you're just going to freak out over it then forget I asked." I said tired of fighting with Nekuro. I sighed and rolled over, closing my eyes.

"_There's some pain that never goes away, no matter how much time passes by. It all depends on how you deal with it. You can sit in a corner and grieve over it for the rest of your life, or you can stand up and live with it. The better you understand the pain the easier it is to live with_." Nekuro suddenly said after sitting in silence. I was shocked. I had never heard Nekuro sound like he truly understood something important to me. I couldn't believe he was giving me advice, and it was _good_.

"Wow, that was, really profound Nekuro."

"Don't sound so surprised! Just because I don't give advice doesn't mean I can't." Nekuro spat back getting defensive. I could tell I had embarrassed him.

"Thank you Nekuro." I said trying to make him feel better.

"Just forget it ok. Go to sleep already." Nekuro said shooing me away. I sighed and rolled over to the other side of the futon.

"Night Nekuro." I whispered.

"Yeah, night." He replied. I sighed one more time and then fell asleep.

I woke up before daybreak, at least Nekuro woke me up at daybreak, and got back into my armour. It took some time to get it all on seen as I had to do it all myself, but I managed. I cleaned up the futon I had slept on and folded the yukata I had been given and left them in the room. I snuck out of the house as quietly as I could, trying not to wake anyone up. I tensed as I heard some footsteps coming up behind me. I turned and saw Master Ruo standing in the hallway.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked smirking.

"I was planning on getting an early start." I replied.

"That you did, that you did. Come, I'll see you off." Master Ruo said stepping in front of me and leading me to the front of the house. He opened the door and stepped outside. The morning air was cool and there was fresh dew on the grass. The sun was starting to rise along the horizon filling the sky with an array of pinks and purples.

"That way is north. I'm sure you'll come across many villages along the way that will be in need of your services. Don't be surprised if they rush you out as soon as you help them. Man was born to take and taught to give, so be wary of those who have yet to learn their lesson." Master Ruo explained pointing one old finger in the direction I was headed.

"I shall, thank you very much for your hospitality." I said bowing respectively.

"Think nothing of it. I'll be sure to spread the news of your noble quest to as many villages as I can. You may be in need once again before you know it." Master Ruo said smiling.

"Thank you again. You do too much for me."

"Ah, I do too little compared to what you have done for us. Be sure to remember this little village on your travels. You'll always be welcome here."

"I'll remember that. Now I suppose this is good-bye." I said stepping out into the middle of the dirt road.

"I suppose it is. Take care and be careful." Master Ruo reminded me.

"I shall. Take care."

"Good luck and never lose track of where you're going." I nodded to the old man, turned to face forward, and began to run. I turned back for a moment to see him waving to me and I waved back. I turned forward and was out of the village in a matter of seconds.

"Well, looks like we're going north." I said keeping my pace.

"_I'm telling you it's a waste of time_." Nekuro reminded me.

"I think it'll be fun. You never know what you're going to find unless you actually start looking for it."

"_There's another old proverb that goes along with that line_." Nekuro said.

"Oh, and what's that?" I asked.

"_Curiosity killed the cat_."


End file.
